Tag: non-league-football

Fright night for Carshalton as Wings win handsomely

Game 16

Welling United 4 – 0 Carshalton Athletic

Venue: The Anthony Martin community Stadium (Formerly Park View Road)

Goalscorers: Lekan Majoyegbe (22), Sam Smith (26), Demaray Anyadike (74), Nahum Melvin-Lambert (82)

Match Day Experience

Welling were once again at home, and the vibes were certainly high as the Wings faithful are yet to see thinner team lose a home league game this season. With Local clubs mostly playing at home and their being a substantial amount of 3PM kick offs numbers were in the mid 600s but the fans in the ground certainly made their voices heard. Carshalton is a little village town in South London so it wasn’t to far to trek for the travelling fans who also made themselves heard during this game.

🎃Halloween Match Report🎃

It was a cold afternoon at the Cauldron, which is Park View Road, with temperatures dropping in recent weeks, leaving some of the fans with goosebumps before kick-off.

Welling United raced out of the blocks, pressing Carshalton all over the pitch and forcing them to hurry their passes and kick it long. It was reminiscent of Leatherface chasing Sally Hardesty in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

The Wings’ early pressure brought a barrage of set pieces in dangerous positions for the Robins’ defence. Lekan Majoyegbe twice found himself in a dangerous position in the box but couldn’t quite make the contact he desired.

Just like a bunch of trick-or-treaters on Halloween evening, Welling United were knocking heavily on the door of the Robins’ goal, which was living a charmed life. A delicious ball into the box landed on the head of striker Chris Harris, but his header was high and wide.

It is said in some folklore that vampires are scared of crosses, and between the hours of 3 pm and 5 pm, so were the Robins’ defenders. Sam Smith whipped in a flat delivery from the left wing, and Lekan Majoyegbe, who had already had two sighters in this game, made no mistake this time as he nodded home from close range.

Moments later, the Wings doubled their lead when a ball was clipped into the Carshalton box, which the goalkeeper looked to have under control. However, a nightmare ensued as he completely misjudged the ball, allowing Sam Smith to ghost in at the back post. He had all the time in the world to take a touch and finish into the empty net.

There were plenty of tricks and treats on display from the Welling wingers, Anyadike and Shomotun, who were causing all sorts of chaos down the flanks, leaving their opposing full-backs feeling like zombies.

Things were going incredibly well for the Wings, who had total control of the game, but they did face an almighty scare just past the half-hour mark as Welling right-back Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo brought down a Robins attacker who looked to be clean through. Thankfully for the Wings, the referee believed there was cover and that yellow would be the colour of his card. This brought a real rage out of the Carshalton players, coaching staff and fans, as they believed he should have seen red.

As the half drew to a close, Welling were well worthy of their two-goal lead, and Carshalton looked to have been spooked by the way the Wings were controlling the game.

The managers would have had very different team talks at half-time. Wings boss Maxwell would have been buzzing with the way his team played in the first half, whilst Carshalton boss Steven Bates would have been looking for a significant improvement in the second half.

Early in the second half, the Robins started to mount a little bit of pressure on the Welling defence, who had stood strong so far. However, some spellbinding passes from the Carshalton attackers carved the Wings open like a pumpkin, but the final attempt was wayward.

Pressure continued to mount on the Welling defence, but Carshalton couldn’t find a way to break the curse the Wings had put on their goal, as they just couldn’t create a clear-cut chance.

With fifteen minutes to go, the game was all but over as Demaray Anyadike made it three. Some more suffocating Welling pressure came to fruition when Jamie Reynolds cut out a pass on the edge of the Robins’ box and laid the ball into the path of Anyadike. His first effort was blocked, but his second effort had only one final destination: the back of the net.

The scoring wasn’t over, though, as debutant Micah Anthony delivered a wicked low cross along the six-yard box. The Robins’ defenders were as static as scarecrows as Chris Harris had the first attempt at goal, which was smothered by the Carshalton goalkeeper. However, the ball would only fall to Melvin-Lambert, who displayed a killer finish that Freddy Krueger would have been proud of.

The fourth was the final nail in the coffin for the Robins, who had a horror show at the home of the Wings.

Disclaimer

The Halloween and horror movie puns took precedence over an accurate recollection of events, although I did try to stay as true to the game as possible.

Welling United have now won all nine home league games and sit in second place after a quarter of the season has been played.

The Wings are back in action on Tuesday in the London Senior Cup against Cray Valley (PM), before facing a tricky away game at the weekend against St Albans City.

Carshalton Athletic, like Welling, were relegation candidates last season and have started this season much better. However, their recent form has taken a negative turn, with this being their fourth consecutive defeat.

The Robins are back in action at home next weekend against Cheshunt, where they will look to put an end to their losing run.

Wings edge Leatherhead in tight affair

Game 15

Welling United 1 – 0 Leatherhead

Venue: The Anthony Martin community Stadium (Formerly Park View Road)

Goalscorers: Chris Harris (9)

Match Day Experience

It has been about a month since I have been down to Park View Road and in that month the weather has taken a turn for the colder switching the summer evening pints for a coffee from the hut. Welling has been on fine form at home this season having won every home league game, which has helped keep the attendance numbers high, with fans knowing they are almost guaranteed a win.

Match Report

Even though we are only in the month of October, this is the second time these two teams have faced off this season, with Leatherhead winning the reverse fixture 4-1 all the way back on matchday two. Tuesday’s meeting was a clash of two very impressive runs of form, with the Wings having won every home league game and Leatherhead not having lost an away league game since April 2025.

Welling United raced out of the traps and mounted a lot of early pressure on the Tanners’ goal. They came close from an early corner when Leatherhead keeper Wheeler came for a cross but was beaten to the ball by a Wings attacker in a crowded penalty area. Thankfully for Wheeler, there was a Tanners defender on the line to bail him out.

The scoring was opened in the ninth minute by new Wings attacker Chris Harris, who recently signed from Aveley. A Welling long throw was only half-cleared by the Leatherhead defence before Chris Arthur picked up the ball on the left-hand side and whipped in a dangerous cross into the Tanners’ box. Harris rose highest and headed the ball into the ground and past the despairing Wheeler, who didn’t really have a chance.

Having scored, Welling looked to double their lead when Kaan Bennett struck well from the edge of the box through a horde of bodies, but Wheeler was equal to his attempt, tipping the ball out for a corner. Welling United have been dangerous from corners all season, and they once again came close from a set piece when Sam Smith delivered a perfect ball into the box. However, the Majoyegbe header was cleared off the line, the second time the Wings had seen an attempt cleared off the line in the opening exchanges of the game.

All of the early battles were being won by the Welling players, as Leatherhead were struggling to get up the pitch. At times, the Tanners were overplaying when they could have gone long to help relieve the onslaught they were receiving from the Wings.

Leatherhead did start to grow into the game and managed to get further up the pitch. Their midfielders started to get on the ball and knock it around quite well, as well as getting the wingers involved a bit more, but the Wings’ full-backs were up to the task.

The Tanners came close midway through the half when they had a free kick in position A1. The ball was struck well and cleared the wall, but thankfully for Wings keeper Foley, it also cleared the bar.

As the game began to even out, more space was opening up for both teams, and Wings midfielder Sam Smith looked to capitalise on this when he struck from just outside the box. His strike was clean and true and deserved a goal, but he was denied by an excellent save from Wheeler, who managed to get a fingertip to the ball. It rattled off the post before falling to in-form striker Melvin-Lambert on the penalty spot. You would have bet all your money on him scoring from there, with half the goal to aim for, but to the amazement of everyone in the ground, the ball ended up wide of the post.

Ryan Maxwell would have had plenty of positives to say at half-time to his Welling players, as they were executing his game plan to perfection. His only complaint would have been that it was only 1-0. Tanners boss Ian Selley would have been worried by the way the game had started, but he would have taken heart from the way his players had fought their way back into the game and turned it into a contest.

You couldn’t exactly say that the second half really burst into life, with a real lack of goalmouth action. Leatherhead had taken more control of the game and were playing really well in the middle third, but were just lacking a bit of cutting edge in the final third.

Despite all of the Tanners’ pressure on the Welling goal, the first big chance of the second half fell to Anyadike, the Welling winger, who was put through on goal by keeper Foley after he claimed a cross and immediately played Anyadike in on the counter-attack. As the Welling winger bore down on the Leatherhead goal, he was being chased by the defenders, and the angle was becoming tighter. However, Wheeler managed to pull off another phenomenal save.

The game started to become very stop-start, with the referee giving free kicks both ways. Neither team was really able to grab the game and take control. You would say that Leatherhead were in the ascendancy, but they were still yet to create a gilt-edged chance.

As the game was coming to a close, Leatherhead really ramped up the pressure and, in stoppage time, created three chances which, on another day, would have earned them a point.

The first chance came when Welling only managed to half-clear a cross, and the ball fell to an attacker on the edge of the box, but he dragged his shot wide.

Moments later, the best chance of the game fell to Leatherhead when a deep ball caused chaos in the Welling box. Two Wings defenders went for the same ball, leaving a Tanners attacker eight yards out with the ball at his feet. His shot was low and hard, but Welling United keeper Foley got down well to pull off what was a game-winning save.

Although the drama wasn’t over, as from the ensuing corner, the ball was whipped in towards the back post and the Leatherhead keeper, who had been sent up for the corner, found himself free in the box. However, he proved why he was a keeper and not a centre-forward as he nodded the ball over the bar, before the referee blew the final whistle to calm the hearts of the Wings faithful.

Welling United have now won all eight of their home league games this season, which has been a real catalyst for their title charge, as they find themselves second in the league after fourteen games. Welling United are back in action this Saturday against Carshalton Athletic.

Leatherhead fell to 14th after this result. However, due to some cup runs, they do have three games in hand and will be looking to climb back up the table. Leatherhead take on Stanway Rovers and will be looking to bounce back and start building some momentum in their season.