Warren Feeney oversaw his first game in charge of Welling United in a defeat at Hampton and Richmond Borough.

Having relieved Peter Taylor of his duties on Saturday evening, Welling chairman, Mark Goldberg, moved quickly to install Feeney for the rest of the season.

Feeney’s team included three debutants, including two centre-backs, and the display at Hampton will have given him no doubt as to the enormity of the task ahead. Although he will have seen some good aspects when attacking in the first half, he will have also seen a lot of negatives and his frustration boiled over late on when he was shown a yellow card.

His team started brightly, and Ben Allen fired over before Bradley Stevenson created another chance for him, but Reiss Charles-Cook thwarted him with a good save.

James Roberts forced a save out of Jack Sims from a free kick after a needless foul then another error of judgement gave Roberts a second chance and this time Sims had to dive full length to tip it onto the post.

Dipo Akinyemi headed wide from a Joe Muscatt cross before a third needless foul on the edge of the penalty area was punished by the opening goal with Roberts giving Sims no chance.

There was almost an immediate response when Muscatt found Akinyemi out wide on the left and he powered inside before unleashing a near post shot that Charles-Cook did well to push onto the post and out for a corner.

Sims then had to make an excellent save in open play to thwart Brandan Barzey at point blank range before Stevenson’s poked area was deflected just past the post.

As half time approached, Destiny Oladipo had a shot cleared off the line by Chi Ezennolim before another Roberts free kick cleared the defensive wall but went wide.

Nine minutes after the interval, Hampton doubled their lead from yet another free kick. This time, Kyron Farrell took it and put it round the wall and into the bottom corner.

After Sims had made a couple of straight-forward saves he had made another stunner when Imran Uche’s shot took a deflection and looked to be dipping just under the bar, but the Welling goalkeeper did superbly to tip it over.

Akinyemi pulled one back with nine minutes remaining when he came in from the left hand side and placed a low shot just inside the far post.

Welling threw men forward searching for an equaliser, but they were unable to create another clear-cut opportunity and will need a bounce-back on Saturday when they entertain Chelmsford City.

Welling United: Sims, Statham, Ezennolim, Durojaiye, Curran, Wells, Muscatt (Saunders-Henry 74), White, Akinyemi, Allen (Derry 65), Stevenson. Sub not used: Barnes, Pearce, Jackson