Wings slip to defeat at Eastleigh

Relegation threatened Eastleigh swept aside Promotion hopefuls Welling United on an eventful afternoon in Hampshire. The hosts were dominant throughout and without the intervention of Wings Goalkeeper Dan Thomas the score line could have been even more damaging. Having scored just 9 times in 12 league games the Spitfires were undoubtedly the underdogs going into the game but it didn’t seem to effect Eastleigh as they made light work of ten man Welling. With half an hour gone the hosts grabbed the lead thanks to a superb strike from Michael Green. The on loan Port Vale midfielder fired an exquisite low shot passed Thomas to give the home side the advantage, after Jamie Slabber’s original free kick had been blocked. This seemed to galvanize the hosts as they pushed for a second; Sam Wilson firing just wide after a long throw had not been cleared. With Jamie Day desperate to round his troops during the half time interval, Eastleigh were beginning to show signs of a revival to what has been a poor start to their season.

In comparison to the first half it was the hosts who began the second half the stronger, Wings central defender Jack Parkinson made an important challenge to deny the impressive Wilson who continually tormented a disjointed-looking Welling back four. Arguably the dismissal of Joe Healy killed off any chance of Welling mounting a comeback. Healy, who was already cautioned during the first period, was given his marching orders after the referee adjudged the Wings Striker of simulation after diving to try and win a penalty. Inexcusably, the Wings were given the impetus to push for an equaliser as Eastleigh began to sit back and defend their slender advantage. Luis Cumbers was denied by Gareth Barfoot as Welling began to dictate against the eleven men. However, the game was finally put out of reach as Eastleigh seized upon Welling’s vulnerability at the back to score twice in the final ten minutes. Richard Gillespie fired unerringly past Thomas to settle any nerves around the Silverlake Stadium, and then, to add insult to injury, Graeme Montgomery skipped his way through the Welling defence to increase the lead and put the result beyond question.

Despite the heavy defeat, Welling remain second in the Blue Square bet South table, but the day belonged to Eastleigh, could this result prove to be the turning point in their season? For now at least, the Spitfires climb up to seventeenth after recording their fourth league win of the campaign.