National League South

Sunday 1st January 2023

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Welling United 2 Tonbridge Angels 1, attendance 932

14’ 1-0

23’ 1-1

44’ 2-1

@ Park View Road

Welling

DA16 1SY

£15 Admission

£3 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

Today was a trip to a ground I hadn’t visited since Boxing Day 1989, when I saw Welling United beat Fisher Athletic 2-0 in a Conference (National League) match in front of 1,208 spectators. That had been a morning kick off and I followed it up later that afternoon with Barnet beating Enfield 2-0 in the same league, which was played in front of a crowd of 4,481 at their old Underhill ground. Traffic never seemed to be such a problem in those days for such a double, but to be fair, the M25 was in fine form today, taking a shade over 40 minutes drive both ways.

Today’s match was 12th versus 10th in the league table and was the reverse of the Boxing Day fixture at Tonbridge, which Welling had won 1-0. It was another tight game. Welling started brightly and hit the crossbar in the opening five minutes, before breaking the deadlock ten minutes later, when Taylor Maloney beat the ‘keeper with a cracker into the top corner from 20 yards. The lead only lasted nine minutes though, as Lewis Gard finished coolly to make it 1-1. Welling edged back in front right on halftime, when Ade Azeez volleyed in from close range, following a low cross in from the left and only a great save by their ‘keeper, from a deflected shot, saw them cling on to their lead in the dying seconds of the half.

The second period saw Tonbridge create the better chances, as Welling appeared to settle for what they had. They were certainly hanging on desperately towards the end, especially in the last ten minutes and the visitors probably deserved to nick a point, but it wasn’t to be.