Danny Bloor’s new look Welling United suffered an only goal defeat at the hands of National League Woking in their latest pre-season friendly.

On paper, four defeats in four games looks like a tough pre-season campaign for the Wings thus far. However, that doesn’t tell the full story. Previous manager Warren Feeney departed to take on the manager’s role at Glentoran shortly before the start of the pre-season campaign and Bloor was appointed in the knowledge that he had to build a brand new squad.

In the first two friendlies, at home to Charlton Athletic and away to Cray Wanderers, Bloor was looking at a lot of trialists and had not had the chance to work with them on shapes and tactics. There was then a ten day break before the next friendly at home to Dulwich Hamlet, in which looking at his players again had more importance than the result.

Again, the result was not key on Saturday when Woking were the visitors. Bloor has said regularly in post match interviews that the only score that matters is the one in their first league game at Truro City. He was without some key players through injury, but has whittled down his trialists with just five in the twenty man squad on Saturday.

Darren Sarll put out his strongest Woking team available and they started on the front foot. They might have gone in front early when Reece Grego-Cox met a cross from a short corner but headed wide.

One of Welling’s unnamed trialists, a goalkeeper, was busy making a good diving save from a free kick by Manny Oyeleke and then keeping out Charlie Wakefield’s shot. Scott Cuthbert headed over for Woking then the Welling goalkeeper did well to thwart Greco-Cox after he had burst clear.

After the half time break, Welling came close when their trialist left back hit a powerful drive that Will Jaaskelainen could only palm into the air but he recovered quickly to punch it away taking out Enoch Muwonge in the process.

Will Wood then had a shot deflected just wide with Jaaskelainen a bystander before Welling thought that they had opened the scoring when Muwonge tucked home Wood’s cross, however his joy was short-lived as he saw an offside flag.

Slightly against the run of play at that time, it was Woking who went ahead ten minutes in. Padraig Amond made the most of defensive hesitancy and slid it square for Greco-Cox to finish from close range.

Player changes were made by both sides and one of Woking’s substitutes, Dennon Lewis, shot wide of the near post before Wakefield lined up a shot but was thwarted by Jack Burchell’s perfectly timed challenge.

Ten minutes remaining when Amond almost added a second with a header that rebounded back off the bar.

Moments before the final whistle Rhys Browne intercepted an underhit back pass and rounded Welling substitute goalkeeper Javarn Pitterson. However, the young stopper forced him wide and Browne could only clip his effort into the side netting.

After another two sessions on the training ground, Welling visit Beckenham Town next Saturday before their final pre-season game at home to Luton Town three days later.

Welling United: Trialist (Pitterson 85), Lugboso (Andrews 46), Trialist (Adom 56), Vaughan (Muwonge 46), Olomowewe (Aarons-Royal 82 (Kamara 88)), Burchell, Wood (Balarabe 82), Papadopoulos, Trialist (Trialist 72), Bramble, White (Trialist 56).