Welling United 4 Tonbridge Angels 1
Anthony Acheampong
celebrates his second goal for Welling against
Tonbridge
by Matthew Panting
Anthony Acheampong scored twice as Welling went three points
clear at the top of Blue Square Bet South on Tuesday night.
The Wings eventually ran out comfortable 4-1 winners but were
not without a scare after Tonbridge striker Frannie Collin pulled a
goal back early in the second half.
In the end, however, Tonbridge's threadbare line-up - caused by
a double defensive suspesion - was too big a problem to overcome
against the division's leading scorers.
Welling handed a debut to striker Jake Reid, signed on loan from
AFC Telford, and he impressed up front alongside leading scorer
Ross Lafayette while Kiernan Hughes-Mason gave left-back Jon Heath
a torrid time down the wing.
The hosts had the best of the early chances, Lee Clarke's shot
was saved by keeper Lee Worgan, after a fluffed clearance, while
Jamie Day fizzed a right-foot shot just wide from 25 yards after
breaking up a Tonbridge counter
attack. Lee
Clarke scores Welling's third goal
Reid followed over and then shot wide from the edge of the box
while Tonbridge were always a threat with Mikel Suarez winning
everything in the air. Skipper Lee Browning turned one assist
straight at keeper Sam Mott while Collin shot wide from 20
yards.
Ben Martin nearly headed Welling in front from a far post corner
but they did go ahead six minutes before half-time when another
dangerous Jack Obersteller cross was headed in by Acheampong.
The lead was doubled four minutes later as Jake Gallagher and
Hughes-Mason combined for the latter to cross for Lafayette, with
the aid of a Tonbridge defender, to turn the ball beyond
Worgan.
Browning went close at the start of the second half before
Collin did pull one back on 49 minutes with a classy finish inside
Mott's near post.
It served only to wake the home side, who found pockets of space
between Tonbridge's midfield and defence to cause them
problems.
The third goal arrived on 62 minutes when Lafayette picked out
Clarke in the box and his early left-foot finish proved too good
for Worgan.
Reid's header from a corner hit the post and bounced to safety
while it needed an excellent save from Mott to deny Collin his
second of the game with 20 minutes left after yet another Suarez
flick-on.
Any hopes of a Tonbridge fightback were over nine minutes from
the end when Day's corner was volleyed in from close range by
Acheampong.
Pictures: Keith Gillard
12/03/13
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