Welling 1 v 0 Eastbourne Borough

Nationwide Conference South

Report by James Underwood

More pictures at Non League Pictures

WELLING United entertained Eastbourne Borough at Park View Road in their first game since New Year's Day.

Despite the long break, the home side came out the victors with debutant Dane Springer scoring the winner on the stroke of half time.

Welling Boss Adrian Pennock welcomed back keeper Jamie Turner to his side and the Wings number one showed his quality making a number of excellent saves to help secure three points.

But Pennock was not over enamoured with his side's overall display saying: "The performance wasn't brilliant but we could have played better and lost.

"It's a sign of a good team, you have to dig in and ride your luck a little bit but I'm just obviously happy with the three points."

He added: "We didn't have much legs in there, people playing their own game and there were some awful performances.

"But we won 1-0 and at the end of the day and to be fair its not going to be pretty but before the game I would have taken a 1-0 whatever the performance.

"I can't complain about the lads at all, we have been absolutely superb all season. All credit to them, a few of us had to roll our selves up and grind this win."

An uninspiring first period saw few real goal scoring opportunities with Martin Carthy's low effort being comfortably saved by the Sports keeper before Chris Moore's header was cleared off the line by Neil Jenkins.

On 14 minutes Eastbourne nearly took the lead in a bizarre fashion when Ben Lewis miss-hit his clearance inside the box and the ball came back off the bar into the hands of a relieved Turner.

Danny Kedwell, who has put in transfer request, went close for Welling five minutes before the break but his curling effort was well saved by Lee Hook.

However, just as it looked certain to be a goalless first half the Wings snatched the lead.

An inch-perfect cross from Ellis Green found an unmarked Springer who side-footed the ball home.

In the second half, Eastbourne increased the pressure in search of the equaliser and almost got it when Duncan McArthur's flick on allowed Adam Wilde to shoot from close range but Turner saved.

Eastbourne substitute Adam Wilde saw another effort saved by Turner when the midfielder got on the end of Jay Lovett's cross.

Their pressure seemed to be rewarded when they won a penalty on 62 minutes when Che Stadhart's mistimed challenge brought down Matt Smart.

McArthur stepped up to take the spot kick but his effort was easily saved by Turner.

Despite controlling possession, Eastbourne failed to equalise and the Wings held on to the win to keep alive their hopes of promotion.

Welling travelled to Tamworth on Tuesday in the FA Trophy hoping to complete the game this time around after the power failure last week resulted in the match being abandoned.

MATCH FACTS:

WELLING: Turner, Lewis, Solomon, Perkins, Moore, Carthy, Green (Battersby, 68), Kedwell, Springer (Stadhart, 53), Harper, Goodfellow (Boateng, 66).

SUBS NOT USED: Hyde, Sam.

ATT: 561.