Although they didn’t end their win-less run on the road Welling United defied the odds to claim a good point at Aveley.

On Saturday, Welling were below par at Weston-super-Mare. Manager Danny Bloor and some supporters demanded a reaction and they certainly got that as their team claimed a ‘Dunkirk Spirit’ point that could have been all three. Welling went in at the break a goal behind, and having had goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook sent off, a man down with an outfield player between the posts. However, they were the better side in the second period even though they are in the bottom four, and their hosts in the top four

Bloor’s centre back woes continued. Without three of his four squad central defenders, Jack Burchell, Taylor Curran and club captain Mitch Dickenson, he was also without Will Wood, who deputised in that position at Weston. Midfielder TJ Bramble was asked to cover, and having looked shaky at first, he blossomed as the game progressed, having an excellent second half.

There was one other change to the Wings’ starting line up with Gillingham loanee Ike Orji coming in at right back for his debut at the expense of Rob Howard.

Both teams spent a while working each other out with their very different styles of play, and chances were at a premium early on. Dominic Odusanya had a long range effort saved easily by Jonathan North then Charles-Cook held a weak header from Alex Hernandez.

Kain Adom glanced a header wide from a Josh Chambers free kick before Welling went ahead from a penalty decision that, for once, went in their favour. Siju Odelusi won the ball with his challenge on Chambers but the Welling man was sent flying in his follow through and the referee must have deemed that it was excessive force. Two Aveley players were shown yellow cards for dissent meaning that Tristan Abrahams had a long wait before firing home unerringly from the spot.


Controversy then went to the other end when Charles-Cook clattered into Manny Ogunrinde. There was no disputing the award of a penalty but it appeared to be a case of ‘double jeopardy’ when the Welling goalkeeper was sent off, rather than cautioned. It was then Odelusi’s turn to have a long wait while Welling decided who he was going to face. Eventually, captain Anthony Grant took the jersey and gloves, but he was sent the wrong way.

That proved to be the end of Grant’s goalkeeping spell as attacking midfielder Antony Papadopoulos came on and donned the keeper’s kit.

He was tested with an early cross that he punched out, and a shot from Hernandez that he held before being beaten in bizarre fashion just before the break. He was slightly too far off his line when Ogunrinde shaped to cross and he could only look back and see it roll along the goal-line and in off the far post.

At the break, Bloor made another change when bringing on central midfielder Amadou Kassarate for wide player Jephte Tanga, changing the shape to shore up the midfield.

Bramble had to nod a Harry Gibbs header off the goal-line, but other than that, the Millers didn’t threaten and Welling levelled just shy of the hour. Papadopoulos looked up and saw that there was space for Adom to run into and his raking long pass sent the young Welling wide man clear. Fearing suffering the same fate as Charles-Cook, the already cautioned North had to let Adom go past him, and he slid it home via the far post.

An expected onslaught did not materialise as Aveley did not look to adapt their game plan to make full use of their advantage. Lachlan Bird and Bramble won every header and blocked every shot but the short handed visitors looked the more dangerous. The Millers defence struggled with the pace of Adom, especially.

Grant drove across the face of goal and a long range shot from Adom whistled just past the post with North beaten.

Finally, Papadopoulos was tested with a high cross into a crowded area, but he claimed it with a commanding high catch.

Three minutes remained when Aveley made a double change that included former Wing Kai Brown, but it was far too late to have an effect. In fact it was Welling who might have won it when a swift, slick break created a shooting chance for Odusanya, but his shot fizzed just over the bar.

Now Bloor will expect his team to show that character and spirit in all of their upcoming games starting with a home F.A. Trophy tie with Brackley Town on Saturday.

Welling United: Charles-Cook, Orji, Green, Grant, Byrd, Bramble, Tanga (Kassarate 46), Odusanya, Abrahams, Chambers (Papadopoulos 43), Adom. Sub not used: Sekajja, Howard, Muwonge.