Kingstonian 1-0 Welling United
WELLING I NEVER

After the disappointment of losing a two goal lead at Sutton a few days ago, you would have thought that K's would have taken the field in a determined state of mind. Especially when you consider that three points would make it possible for the team to return to the top of the table. As it was, the performance was a poor one, in a dull affair, but which once again brought K's three points when they probably didn't quite deserve them.

Welling, already looking to be one of the favourites for the drop, started as though they were the team in second place, and not K's. Ritchie Hanlon shot at Farrelly's bottom right hand corner and saw the K's minder flap at the ball, luckily seeing it off for a corner. A few moments later saw Farrelly in trouble once again - this time from a corner. He just about managed to get a hand to the ball to give away another corner and, from this, Welling almost took the lead. A scramble ensued with Farrelly somehow coming out holding the ball after a shot from Bailey.

Then Mike Rutherford went close with a long distance shot before K's had really gotten into their opponent's half of the field. They finally did so with a Pitcher corner which was cleared to Phil Wingfield. His shot was high and wide enough to clear the netting behind the goal. At least it gave the ball boys something to do.

Half an hour had gone before K's went close again. This time Eddie played in Leworthy on the edge of the box, and his toe-poke was heading for the bottom-right hand corner before goalkeeper Wilkerson touched it wide for a corner. But at least K's had started to assert their authority on the game and were crafting some chances.

Before the break Leworthy had a right-footed volley from six yards out saved after a good Patterson cross, Wingfield just failed to connect with a Mustafa cross and then headed another cross from Mustafa into Wilkerson's grateful arms. And at the break the score was, quite predictably, nil-nil. Since when has a K's v Welling game been good fun?

The second half though did manage to provide some more entertainment. K's were attacking the Kingston Road End meaning that their supporters could at least get the impression that the roof was keeping them warmer. Or something. Richard Thompson was introduced at the start of the half, in place of Eddie.

Wingfield headed over early on, before he finally managed to break the deadlock. Leworthy crossed from the right to the far post. Patterson headed back to substitute Thompson whose shot was going wide. Wingfield - denied two goals at Sutton by clumsy U's defenders - this time managed to add the killer touch all on his own. His flick with the back-heel was from all of six yards out, but it was enough to beat Wilkerson and give K's the lead.

Welling hadn't given up though, and would have equalised through Rowe if it weren't for a superb saving tackle by Mark Harris. Rowe had another chance just after, when his shot after a right-wing cross was saved superbly by Farrelly. Derek Allan completed the clearance.

To be honest, there was only really one more chance for K's, when Pitcher shot just over from the edge of the box. Other than that, the home side had to defend well to hang on to their points. Bailey shot wide from 20 yards and, in injury time, there were some anxious moments for the home supporters. A corner from the right spent an age in the K's box before it was finally hacked clear by Crossley. Just moments later Braithwaite shot across the goal giving K's heart attacks. But finally the whistle went.

And so K's had maintained their impressive record against Welling. And once again, a victory over them had planted K's at the top of the table. Whether they deserved it or not is debatable, but the win may well prove to be an important one. With other teams slipping up, it was good to see K's take all 3 points when they could so easily have let it slip.