Welling 2
(Pegrum 82′, Kennedy 90+4′)
United 0
There was disappointment for The Gulls on Saturday, as United’s five-match unbeaten run ended with defeat at Welling.
Despite bossing the possession stakes and creating the bulk of the clear-cut openings for large periods, two late strikes from Charlie Pegrum and Gene Kennedy were enough to seal all three points for the home side.
Following the midweek win over Chippenham, United boss Paul Wotton made two changes, with Dan Hayfield and Jay Foulston replaced by Roddy Collins and Dean Moxey in the starting eleven.
A closely-fought opening to proceedings meant there was limited opportunities for either side, until The Gulls created the first opening midway through the first half.
After breaking from the halfway line, Cody Cooke found himself bearing down on goal with only ex-Torquay goalkeeper Rhys Lovett ahead of him. Cooke’s effort was a decent one, however Lovett was equal to it, as he palmed the ball round the post.
It wasn’t until just past the half-hour that Welling tested James Hamon at the other end, with Anoited Chukwu steering an effort into Hamon’s palms from a narrow angle.
It looked as though Wotton’s men had finally broken the deadlock six minutes before the break.
After a long throw from Moxey caused confusion inside the Welling area, Cooke looked to have capitalised by slotting home from a tight angle despite a covering defender’s best efforts on the goal line – only for an Assistant’s flag to rule the goal out.
All square at the break, but it was probably fair to say United had enjoyed the better on the first 45 minutes.
Once things got back underway, it was again Torquay who were asking most of the questions.
With the match approaching the hour mark, the woodwork came to the home side’s rescue twice in quick succession.
First, a piledriver from Lirak Hasani 20 yards out cannoned of the inside of the post, and with Lovett well beaten, a relived Wings defender hacked the ball behind for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, Matt Carson’s delivery was sent back into the goalmouth by Ed Palmer at the back-post, with Cooke desperately unlucky to see his close range header bounce back off the underside of the crossbar, with Lovett looking to have got a crucial fingertip to it.
Having survived those let-offs, the hosts created a couple of chances of their own.
On 66 minutes, a deflected strike from Chukwu fell kindly onto the head of Elliot Long, however his header was straight at Hamon.
The United stopper had to be at his best two minutes later though, as a left-footed effort from the same player saw him get down smartly to parry the ball away from danger.
As the game approached its final stages, it looked purely a case of whether Wotton’s side could turn one point into three, however, with six minutes remaining, they were hit with a proverbial sucker-punch.
It must be said that Welling’s counter-attacks were carrying more and more threat as the game went on, and after Long’s low ball from the right picked out Pegrum inside the box, the ball was slotted into the bottom corner of the net to give the hosts a late lead.
As you’d expect, Wotton’s men continued to plug away in the hope of restoring parity, however, as is so often the case, their pursuit for a last-gasp equaliser left them vulnerable at the back.
A pacy attack saw substitute Recce Grant get the better of Moxey, and after squaring the ball to Kennedy, the latter produced a composed finish to dink the ball over the advancing Hamon as seal the result in Welling’s favour.
On this occasion, it just wasn’t United’s day.
WELLING: 1. Rhys Lovett, 4. Ben Wells, 5. Dave Winfield (c), 6. Jack Burchell, 8. Gene Kennedy, 9. Anointed Chukwu (24. David Carty, 73′), 10. Elliot Long, 16. Teddy Perkins (22. Jacob Mensah, 79′), 18. Anthony Grant, 20. TJ Bramble, 32. Charlie Pegrum (19. Reece Grant, 90+1′).
SUBS NOT USED: 15. Jack Munns, 17. Cameron Andrews.
Yellow Cards: Winfield 41′, Perkins 77′, Grant 90+5′
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 5. Sam Dreyer, 7. Lirak Hasani (10. Omar Mussa, 84′), 8. Roddy Collins (2. Finley Craske, 70′), 9. Ben Seymour (11. Brad Ash, 73′), 14. Matt Carson, 16. Ed Palmer, 17. Finn Tonks, 18. Oscar Threlkeld (c) (15. Jadyn Crosbie, 87′), 19. Cody Cooke, 21. Dean Moxey.
SUB NOT USED: 23. Ollie Tomlinson.