Adam Roscrow and Lachlan Byrd scored their first goals for the club as ten men Welling United came from behind to beat Hampton and Richmond Borough.

It was a worthy result for the occasion as many Welling supporters attended to pay their respects to the recently deceased former owner and son of the club’s founder, Barrie Hobbins. Also remembered during the pre-match minute’s applause were Wayne Brown, who was a popular player in two spells with the club, and Lenny Piper, who also had a short spell playing for the club.

That overshadowed the turmoil following the unexpected dismissal of popular manager Danny Bloor in the evening of their victory at Hemel Hempstead Town. Since then, several other staff members have departed.

Rod Stringer and Kevin Watson came in as the new management team, and made three enforced changes to the Welling team that won at Hemel Hempstead. Tristan Abrahams returned having reached an agreement with the club after his contract had expired. Adam Roscrow and Will Wood were also restored. Absent were TJ Bramble, through injury, David Kamara, who has left the club, and Oxford United loanee Josh Johnson.

Defences ruled the roost for the first forty-four minutes with only a shot by Antony Papadopoulos, that flew over, being registered as a goal attempt. However, the visitors went ahead with their first serious effort with one first half minute remaining. A corner wasn’t cut out and Dean Inman netted from a yard out at the far post.

After the break, Welling looked more lively and Roscrow drew a low diving save out of Adam Desbois. However, the Hampton goalkeeper was powerless to stop him from levelling after eight second half minutes. Wood did well to create space for Papadopoulos. He drove an angled low cross beyond Desbois and Roscrow did the rest with a close range finish.

Dominic Odusanya was then in the right place at the right time to nod Mason Bloomfield’s header off the line before Welling’s challenge became harder when they were reduced to ten men. Dean Wishart fouled Abrahams whose aggressive retaliation earned him a red card. Wishart was cautioned and a member of the Hampton bench, who had run onto the pitch needlessly to get involved, was also sent to the changing rooms.

While Welling supporters might have been hoping that their team could hold the point that they had at that stage, their management and players had other ideas and took the game to their opponents. Desbois made a double save from Odusanya and Roscrow before Welling went ahead. Cameron Green delivered a long diagonal free kick that Byrd attacked and headed powerfully into the back off the net prompting mayhem behind the goal.

Reice Charles-Cook then made his only save of the night, a routine one from an Inman header, and Welling looked the more dangerous going into the latter stages. They might have made the game safe when Roscrow sent substitute Mbunya Alemanji clear but Desbois got down well to make a brilliant save. The Hampton custodian then had a more comfortable one when getting down to hold a shot from Anthony Grant.

Joe Ellul exemplified his ‘they shall not pass’ attitude with an outstanding block in stoppage time before his team saw out the remaining minutes without concern.

On Saturday, Welling host Taunton Town knowing that another good result would give them real hopes of getting out of their current predicament.

Welling United: Charles-Cook, Lema, Wood (Alemanji 63), Grant, Ellul, Byrd, Papadopoulos, Odusanya, Roscrow (Burchell 90+5), Abrahams, Green. Sub not used: Curran, Bridgeman, Muwonge.