BOTH sides decided to field separate sides except for goalkeepers for each half and with mid-session drink breaks Saturday’s encounter between Herne Bay and Welling United was effectively two mini matches.

Blistering temperatures and a difficult playing surface meant that it was all the more impressive that both sides managed to put on an entertaining show.

Although Jamie Day and his team will have been pleased with victories in each contest, the fact that they have at least 22 outfield players will need to be reduced to 16 or 17 will give them much to think about.

James Lawson showed no obvious sign of discomfort in his first game back having missed all last season with a knee injury and he proved to be a handful for the hosts’ defence.

Having already had a shot blocked, and a header saved after Day had been thwarted, the centre forward netted in style on 32 minutes.

Charlie Mitten’s long goal kick was flicked on by Luis Cumbers and Lawson finished with a first time shot from twenty yards.

Cumbers also put in an impressive half and deserved his debut goal three minutes later when Jack Oberstellar’s shot was deflected into his path and he netted from close range.

Bay pulled one back in injury time when Danny Lawrence, who has been watched by Welling, crossed from the right and Ben Brown finished emphatically.

Returning Welling crowd favourite Andy Pugh had an effort tipped away before his understanding with Tommy Whitnell, so missed at the end of last season, was in evidence again. Pugh’s intelligent ball gave Whitnell a great chance but he shot well wide.

Whitnell was not to be denied for long and he netted in typical fashion when superbly played in by Junior Alabi.

The Pugh-Whitnell partnership was in full flow again when the former's pass was put wide by the latter and Pugh himself came close shortly after.

Left back Kane Rice showed he liked to get forward and was unlucky with a shot that just passed the post and Alabi came even closer when he ghosted in at the far post to head Loui Fazakerley’s effort against the woodwork.

Welling United: Mitten, Coyle (Omogbehin 46), Obersteller (Rice 46), Day (Marsden 46), Andrews (Achempong 46), Sambrook (Parkinson 46), Mason (Fazakerley 46), Healy (Johnson 46), Lawson (Whitnell 46), Cumbers (Pugh 46), Dadson (Alabi 46).