The spectre of relegation is once again hanging over City after this dismal defeat at Welling. This, City's third consecutive loss, sees them drop to 16th in the table and with a number of sides breathing down their neck, this Saturday's home game with Havant takes on a new importance.
Without both first choice strikers - Robbie Simpson is away with the Academy in France and Danny Bloomfield was struck down with illness - City were always going to find the going tough but as it turned out, they barely threatened Glen Knight in the home goal.
However, despite the tame attacking show, City should have been in front after only two minutes. Kevin Wilkin was felled just outside the area by John Farley. Adie Hayes curled a lovely ball to the far post were Wilkin, unopposed, headed wide when it looked easier to score. The miss was made to be a costly one as minutes later Welling took the lead with their first worthwhile attack.
Welling won a corner after good work on the right. The flighted flag kick was successfully headed away by Matt Rice only to fall on the boot of full-back James Virgo, lurking on the edge of the area. He saw an opportunity and crashed a volley goalwards through a ruck of players, one bounce and it nestled in the back of the City net with 'keeper Martin Davies, rooted to the spot.
Kevin Wilkin is challenged by Welling's
Billy Burgess
The goal seemed to rattle City and passes began to go astray. Welling seized the moment and pressed forward. Tim O'Shea lifted a quick free-kick into the City area only to see Paul Booth just fail to make contact after he had got in beyond Tim Wooding, and a surging run on the left saw Steve Sodje's cross deflect into the path of Gary Abbott, the former Aldershot man crashing a half-volley into the arms of Davies from 18 yards.
Following this flurry of attacking activity, the game soon descended into stalemate. Welling continued to look the more threatening and inventive side but only managed to threaten once in the remaining minutes of the first period, Anthony Hogg seeing his volley well blocked after Sodje had again pushed down the left flank.
Leon Gutzmore battles hard
for possession
City did not improve much after the break. The did however, enjoy a good deal of the ball but failed to make many inroads against a well organised and determined home defence.
With City pushing forward, Welling always looked dangerous on the break and it was they who almost added to the scoreline after 57 minutes. A long ball out of defence found Booth, he collected expertly and was instantly on the move. Twisting and turning he reached the area where with a final body swerve he made enough room for a shot but fired just over angle of post and crossbar.
Seven minutes later and the home side went closer still to extending their lead. Anthony Riviere gave a masterclass in close control after he had been found just inside the City area by Sodje. His mesmerising run had City defenders going this way and that before he stroked a sweetly hit right foot shot beyond Davies but unfortunately for Welling onto the crossbar.
City finally showed some teeth in attack with a short spell of attacking pressure. Wilkin cut inside and fired over in the 70th minute. Five minutes later and Wilkin was at it again, this time his hooked shot called Knight into action but in truth it was a simple job for the tall 'keeper to tip the ball over the bar. Wilkin was not finished and soon after he saw a well struck shot deflected over the bar after substitute Matt Clements had found the former Rushden striker in space inside the Welling area.
However brief the attacking spell was, it did give some hope that City could pull something out of this match, but it was not long before Welling were serving notice that they could extend their lead at any time
With just over ten minutes remaining, Paul Booth flicked on Glen Knight's goal-kick. Quick as a flash, Abbott, who had been pretty quiet up until then, raced through, but the normally lethal striker poked his shot past the post with only Davies to beat. A minute later and Tim Wooding became the third City player to enter the referee's notebook when he brought down Sodje. From the resulting free-kick, Virgo forced Davies into a very good stop to turn the ball around the near-post for a corner.
The final minutes saw City win one or two corners, but in keeping with the afternoon's performance, they came to nothing and it was Welling who once again looked the most likely to score. Eight minutes from time, full-back Billy Burgess took up the mantle and produced a purposeful run through the middle before playing in Abbott on the left hand side. The striker attempted to pick his spot across Davies, but the City stopper got down well to save, Vowden completing the clearance, whacking the loose ball behind for a corner.
Wilkin leaps to head upfield
A very disappointing afternoon for City and with many of the teams below them picking up points it leaves the men from Milton Road nervously looking over their shoulders as the fight to avoid relegation, a fight that only a couple of weeks ago City appeared to have avoided, hots up as the season enters it's final stages.
Post match reaction
Gary Roberts
It was a very disappointing afternoon for us yesterday. Had we won we would have obviously climbed the table and achieved safety, but we missed that really good chance in the first five minutes (Kevin Wilkin's header) and that probably set the seal on our afternoon.................more
