Following recent disappointing results Welling United bounced bank with a great win at Weston-super-Mare in the Vanarama National League South.

Coming into the game, the Wings had lost three on the spin whilst the Seagulls were buoyed by having won at Dorking Wanderers seven days earlier, albeit their first victory since November.

Rod Stringer, the Welling manager, brought in four new players during the week and put them all straight into the starting line up. When Weston won at Welling earlier in the season, the physical presence of Reuben Reid and Nick McCootie gave the Wings defence a difficult time. Neither played in this game and it was one of Stringer’s newcomers, James Alabi, who was troublesome for the Seagulls’ back four and who gave them a taste of their own medicine.

It appeared that making multiple changes might have backfired when the hosts went ahead in the second minute. Luke Coulson whipped in a deep cross and Dylan Kadji escaped his marker to side foot home.

However, after Sam Pearson had a shot saved by Welling goalkeeper Dylan Berry, the Wings started to assert themselves. One of their problems so far this season has been a lack of headed goals but that was not the case on the Somerset coast when they levelled in the eighteenth minute. Daniel Martin slung in a deep cross that picked out Dave Winfield at the far post and he rose high above the defence to head home.

Anthony Grant and Winfield made brave blocks in a goalmouth scramble before Welling went ahead. Alabi’s excellent hold up play allowed Theo Alexandrou to find space down the left hand side and his deep cross was headed home by an unmarked debutant Finn Ballard-McBride.

Pearson shot over for the hosts before Alexandrou had a shot deflected wide by Weston goalkeeper Max Harris.

Early in the second period Pedro Borges had a header pushed round the post by Berry before Ollie Chamberlain was unable to find the target from close range when getting on the end of a Coulson delivery. Berry made an excellent save when Pearson’s cross took a deflection.

Having staved off the Seagulls’ fast start to the half, Welling added a third with yet another header. The other two debutants, both on loan from Eastbourne Borough, combined to great affect when Daniel Quick crossed and Jayden Davis nodded home.

Although Weston won a succession of corners, Welling defended them with relative ease and added a fourth with five minutes remaining. Davis raced down the right wing and pulled it back from the bye-line, substitute Josh Redfearn showed the desire to poke it back into the path of Zain Walker, and his fellow replacement planted it into the bottom corner.

In injury time, Berry made a double save from Oliver Bray and Borges before Welling were able to celebrate three well earned points.

Welling United: Berry, Davis (Burchell 86), Martin (Kamara 90+3), Quick, Winfield, Di Trolio, Kennedy, Grant, Alabi (Redfearn 71), Alexandrou (Statham 80), Ballard-McBride (Walker 83). Subs not used: None.