Two goals apiece meant that the spoils were shared when Welling United visited Eastbourne Borough.

It was a bitter-sweet result for Welling United manager Danny Bloor. He was relieved of his duties as manager of Eastbourne in the summer, and still lives in the area but Welling are his team now and he will have been disappointed that all three points weren’t claimed.

Tristan Abrahams had the first effort of the match for Welling when his clever skills created the space and his shot from thirty yards hit the bar on its way over. Lewis White then tried to pick out Antony Papadopoulos but it was slightly behind him and he could only hoist it over.

Cameron Green crossed low and hard and found Dominic Odusanya but he looked on in dismay when his side foot volley flew wide.

After their slow start the hosts had a couple of chances. Welling goalkeeper Ben Winterbottom got down well to make a good low save from Jay Beckford. Yaser Kasim then fired across the face of goal

Harrison Foulkes, the Eastbourne goalkeeper, was then called into action to make a brilliant full length diving save to keep out a long range drive from Papadopoulos.

In first half injury time the hosts went ahead with a soft penalty when Crossley Lema was deemed to have committed a foul. Decarrey Sheriff stepped up and sent Winterbottom the wrong way from the spot.

Early in the second half a long range shot by Sam Beard went wide as the Sports, with their noses in front, looked to stop the game from flowing. However, midway through the second period, Welling levelled. Lema atoned for conceding the first half penalty when he picked out Papadopoulos. Although his shot was blocked, it came out to Jephte Tanga who opened his account for the club with a great finish.

Another Welling player then followed Tanga’s lead by scoring his first Welling goal. James Vaughan delivered a corner to the far post, Odusanya headed back across goal, and Abrahams was in the right place to apply the finish.

When Fletcher Holman thrashed a shot into the car park, it looked like Welling would see the game out but the Sports had other ideas and equalised with four minutes remaining. A shot was blocked into the path of Shiloh Remy, and he made no mistake.

Before the game, Welling might have taken a point but at the end, the body language of the players showed their disappointment.

Welling United: Winterbottom, Lema , Green, Vaughan, Byrd, Burchell (Dickenson 79), Tanga, Odusanya, Abrahams, Papadopoulos, White (Muwonge 75). Sub not used: Adom, Bramble, Kamara.