Welling United 0-1 Kingstonian
GOING UP?

On the back of many a fine away game performance, most recently Stevenage, K's traveled to South-East London with hopes high of furthering their claims on the title. Of course, if Rushden were not to win, K's could even go top of the league.

And it was with great anticipation that the fans were watching the game. Eddie Akuamoah was back in the team after his accident on Saturday but had to suffer the indignity of getting the train with his adoring masses. Other than that, the team was as usual, Kadi was back on the bench, and Harris remains there with him. Aptly, the Welling team came out to "The Great Escape", and with the position they are in thus far this season, they'll need one. There's no Barrow to save them this year. Or Slough. Or Barrow.

K's started like a team who were looking to go top of the league. Patterson was the first to fire in a shot following a neat layoff by Wingfield. Minutes later Leworthy tried to rectify his sending off the previous Saturday by rifling a long shot after Akuamoah had fed him on the break. It was so fierce that the keeper couldn't hold on to it and only parried it away. But as it transpired, the shot didn't have to be too fierce to make the keeper do that. Maybe K's had been told to shoot from distance tonight, Pitcher was the next to have a go.

Or maybe it was due to Welling's well organised defence who wouldn't let K's past them. As K's were beginning to think it was to only be a matter of time, Hanlon reminded us all just why he is the league's top scorer, excellently beating a man on the edge of the area and, not quite connecting with his shot right, saw the ball fly over the bar. But K's were really spraying the ball over every inch of the pitch. A long Wingfield ball allowed Patterson to set up Mustafa, who again tried a long shot. Yet, back in the K's area there was a bit of a worry when Stewart looked to be very close to fouling Rowe in the area, and was only relieved by a Crossley tackle which almost saw an own goal being scored. Better than that, or a penalty, the ball somehow went off for a corner.

When K's got involved in the corner count, they looked quite dangerous. Wilkerson, the man in the sticks, looked to be far from Conference standard, as he repeatedly fumbled the ball. One such corner, hit Simon Stewart on the arm and was cleared off the line, just before the ref pulled back play for an earlier infringement. Crossley was again called upon at the other end, doing well to halt Braithewaite as he ran toward goal. And then it was back to the shooting and winning corners display.

It began to look as though K's would need to do something other than fire in long shots. Pitcher showed us an alternative when he played Leworthy through. Unfortunately it was ruled off side, but was definitely a sign of what could be done. At the other end, Braithewaite again caused problems and the only way Stewart could stop him was to foul him. He did so, which led to Hanlon having a free-kick just outside the area. His shot went through the K's wall and Farrelly did well to smother the ball to his right after he had seen it late.

The match up to this point had been all K's. Indeed, had it not been for Hanlon and Braithewaite, it really would have been all K's. So it was no surprise, but was certainly a great relief when K's took the lead just before half time. Patterson was running towards goal and was repeatedly tugged when doing so. Somehow he managed to feed the perfect ball to Leworthy just before he fell to the floor. This was the one moment that really confused the well organised Welling defence. As some thought a free-kick would be given and some were waiting for an off-side decision, Leworthy found himself in space on the left side of the penalty area. As the keeper advanced, Dave calmly slotted the ball by the near-side post and put K's one goal to the good. We'll miss him when he's suspended...

K's almost got another seconds later. A long Wingfield cross saw Leworthy miss-hit his shot and it ended up looping toward the goal, Wilkerson just managed to flap it away before the goal hungry Pitcher could get a look in. The half ended as it had started, a long shot - this time by Mustafa -, the keeper spilling it and K's looking very confident.

In the second half it was very much more of the same for the first ten or so minutes. Hanlon fired in a long shot for Welling, but after that it was back in the right area, with Akuamoah, Wingfield and Leworthy linking up well culminating in a good Leworthy shot. But then Luckett forgot where he was and performed the most awful challenge on Rowe well inside the opponents' half. He was quite rightly booked and then the K's pressure continued. But it could have all gone wrong had Farrelly not been at his best. He needed to perform a sliding punch clear at one point and was catching everything thrown towards him. K's were awarded a free-kick just outside the area which was wasted by Wingfield but at least the ball was away from the K's goal.

With news filtering in that Rushden were getting stuffed - "well done Nige" - the K's fans were hoping for another to secure the game and allow celebrations to begin. As it was K's would be lucky to end the match with the solitary goal lead. At times it was very worrying at the other end. Welling had a penalty appeal turned down after Braithewaite was kicked near the head in the penalty area and K's hearts were in their mouths. Straight after this Hone's long shot forced the best from Farrelly as he tipped the ball away. Not off though, and the pressure continued a while more. The game took a different look in the final ten minutes. It got niggly and Welling looked the more eager for a goal. Braithewaite went close, Dennis fired in a long shot and Rowe threatened from a header. Just before the end was one of those goal mouth scrambles in the K's area. Hanlon's shot proved to be Welling's last chance of the match and as Farrelly gobbled up the ball you could hear the sigh of relief from all K's fans present.

But that was enough. So often we end up coming away from a ground like Welling saying "These are the kind of games you have to win to win the league." Of course we still all said it, but we said it with a smile on our faces. K's leap-frogged to the top position in the non league pyramid and it's all good.