Dorchester 1-1 Welling United

WELLING United welcomed back Loui Fazackerley and Jack Parkinson for their visit to Dorchester Town.

Sanchez Ming and Graeme Andrews also returned but had to be content with places on the substitute’s bench.

On a cold and miserable day, and on a pitch resembling a ploughed field, Welling found it difficult to get their passing game together.

They did produce the first chance of the afternoon, though, when good work by Fazackerly set up Charlie Sheringham, but his shot was charged down by Kevin Hill for a corner.

Both goalkeepers were called upon to make routine saves before James Baker was thwarted by Gareth Stewart’s speed off his line.

Dorchester had the next chance when Mitchell Nicholson headed wide having been allowed a free header from a corner.

Parkinson then did likewise from a Welling corner before receiving the first yellow card of the afternoon for an incident in midfield.

The visitors went ahead in the 32nd minute through a comedy goal.

Patrece Liburd headed towards the top corner of his own goal, only to see Stewart turn the ball wide for a corner.

Lee Blackburn slung in a wicked cross which Liburd again headed in the wrong direction, this time against his own crossbar.

As the ball rebounded from the woodwork, the unfortunate Hill was only able to head it back into his own net under pressure from Parkinson.

Fazackerley then got himself into shooting range twice, but failed to trouble Stewart on either occasion.

Mark Jermyn made a good tackle to deny Welling a further opportunity before Nicholson had a shot save by Clark Masters just before half-time.

Ryan Johnson’s shot took a touch off Hill before going wide and Sheringham deflected a long Parkinson throw on to the outside of the post before the Magpies took a grip on the game.

The equaliser came when a sloppy cross field pass by Sonny Cobbs was intercepted by Ronayne Marsh-Browne, known as Ronayne Benjamin when at Welling.

His accurate through ball to Jamie Mudge caught out the Welling defence and Jamie Mudge drew out Masters before firing low into the corner of the net.

Masters was called upon to make another save before Andy Ford replaced Blackburn with Ming.

By this stage Dorchester were well on top and Jermyn was allowed to cross unchallenged before Masters had to make another good save, this time from Ryan Moss.

Ford made a second change on 70 minutes, replacing Sheringham with Orlando Smith before Cobbs became the second Welling player to be cautioned.

Hill brought yet another save from Masters following good work by ex-Chelsea first teamer Nick Crittenden as the hosts looked the more likely victors.

As time ran down, play became even more fractured and a flare-up between Baker and Marsh-Browne saw both names added to the referee’s list of transgressors.

Danny Clay and Crittenden also found their way into the referee’s notebook to level up the bookings count before Baker almost set up a scarcely deserved winner. Johnson sliced his shot wide and the spoils were shared.

Welling: Masters, Protheroe, Cobbs, Parkinson, McEntegart, Sinclair, Fazackerley, Blackburn (Ming 65), Baker, Sheringham (O. Smith 70), Johnson. Subs not used: Quinn, Richards, Andrews. Att: 366.