Another long trip for Welling United was rewarded with a well deserved point at Weymouth.
Journeys to Devon, twice, for Truro City and Torquay United, and to Somerset for Taunton Town, had seen them return empty handed, so claiming a point in Dorset arrested that trend.
In truth, it wasn’t the greatest of matches in swirling winds, at times heavy rain, and on a pitch with grass longer than the groundsman would have liked due to being unable to cut it because of the Friday storms.
Danny Bloor’s team had already had five corners by the time they had their first meaningful attempt, an Anthony Papadopoulos shot that flew over. He then picked out Amadou Kassarate whose glancing header went beyond the far post.
As half time approached, Weymouth opened the scoring, courtesy of calamitous Welling defending. Ben Winterbottom charged out and crashed into Jack Burchell, leaving them both grounded. Ben Thomson could hardly believe his luck and rolled it into the empty net from twenty yards out. The collision proved to be too much for Burchell and he departed, clutching his chest, to be replaced by Taylor Curran.
After the half time break, Dan Roberts had a shot for the Terras saved comfortably by Ben Winterbottom before Papadopoulos was again off target when Lachlan Byrd’s header caused desperate defending in the Weymouth six yard box. It came out to Papadopoulos on the edge of the penalty area and his attempted curler inside the far post didn’t bend, and went just wide.
However, Welling didn’t have to wait too much longer for the equaliser. Kain Adom found room just outside the Weymouth penalty area and his aim was true as he planted it in the bottom corner.
Increasingly heavy rain did not bother Jephte Tanga when he was played in behind and he shot low across Jared Thompson, but the debutant Terras goalkeeper stretched out his left foot and diverted it away.
Adom and Tristan Abrahams both fired over as the visitors continued to have more of the possession and territorial advantage before Weymouth came back into it with a low Thomson shot that was gathered by Winterbottom.
Cameron Green took a free kick from out wide that evaded everyone, and the far post, before Weymouth substitute Moe Shubbar shot wide of the near post with the angle against him.
Thompson then made an excellent full length diving save to keep out a free kick from Dominic Odusanya, tipping it round the post, before Welling substitute Enoch Muwonge created a chance for himself but shot over from long range.
Right at the death, Weymouth might have claimed all three points when Calvin Brooks met a corner only to power his header over but that would have been harsh on the Wings had they come home empty handed.
Bloor’s team entertains Slough Town next Saturday after a midweek journey to Dover Athletic.
Welling United: Winterbottom, Lema, Green, Kassarate, Byrd, Burchell (Curran 45+4), Tanga, Odusanya, Abrahams, Papadopoulos (Muwonge), Adom. Sub not used: Wood, Bramble, Bayford.
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