Eleven years ago today, Lincoln City suffered another frustrating evening at Park View Road, losing 2-1 to Welling United despite creating enough chances to come away with a better result.
As we prepare to wake on West Ham United as equals tomorrow night, I thought it might be sobering to look back at a very different football club from 11 years ago. The defeat continued a miserable record against the Wings, who had now won all five league meetings between the clubs since returning to the top tier of non-league football. For the 172 travelling City supporters among a crowd of just 702, it was a third successive defeat at Welling in as many seasons.
Note: the images are not from the game. Bubs wasn’t there, understandably.
Welling began brightly, but City soon established themselves and forced the hosts into a prolonged spell of defensive work. Bush, facing his former club, supplied the long throws, while five corners inside the opening 25 minutes gave the Imps further opportunities to test the home defence.
Waterfall threatened with a header that Nortey had to clear, before leading scorer Rhead headed wide from a promising position. Hearn then came close to breaking the deadlock seven minutes before the interval, only for King to produce a sharp reflex save to keep him out.
Instead, it was Welling who went into the break ahead, taking the lead against the run of play in the 42nd minute. City failed to clear a corner, allowing Wellard to chip the ball back into the danger area, where Corne converted at the second attempt from close range.
It was a frustrating reward for City’s first-half efforts, but the response after the restart was swift. Just three minutes into the second half, Welling surrendered possession in their own territory and Hearn turned Power’s off-target shot into the net to restore parity.
With the scores level, City again looked the more likely side to find another goal. King beat away another Hearn effort and Bush fired high and wide, but the Imps could not turn their pressure into a lead.
That allowed Welling to gradually work their way back into the game, although an apparent breakthrough midway through the half was ruled out. Wellard had the ball in the net, only for an offside flag to deny the hosts.
The decisive change came with seven minutes remaining, when Wood received his second yellow card for a late challenge on Lee. Referee Bromley sent the City man off, leaving the Imps to negotiate the closing stages with ten men.
They held out for only two minutes, with a misplaced pass intercepted by Harris to give Welling their opportunity. Obafemi, introduced for Kabba in the 78th minute, supplied the finish, sliding his shot beneath Farman with five minutes left.
Simmons had replaced Hearn in the closing stages, but there was no second equaliser for City. The evening ended with Welling celebrating another victory over the Imps, having survived the visitors’ pressure before making the most of their late opening.
Welling manager Fazakerley acknowledged afterwards that his side had needed to ride their luck. Speaking to KentOnline, he said: “You could say we led a charmed life at times. They were always going to play long, direct balls into Rhead but we managed to deal with it.”
He also praised the resolve that had helped the hosts through an awkward evening, saying: “It wasn’t the best performance but it was great character shown from the lads.”
From City’s perspective, it was another game in which the chances had been there, but the result offered little consolation to those making the journey back to Lincoln.
Lincoln City: Farman, Wood, Waterfall, Bush, Muldoon, Power, Rhead, Hearn (Simmons 84), Hawkridge, Beevers, Howe.
Unused substitutes: Grant, Tempest, Everington, Hodge.
Attendance: 702 (172 away).
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