Late Strikes Earn Stay Of Execution: Welling United 1-2 Harriers

Two goals in the last ten minutes turned the game on its head and kept Harriers' outside chances of staying up alive for a few more days.

Colin Gordon mixed the team up a little, with skipper Jared Hodgkiss dropped to the bench and Gurjit Singh coming into the attack for his first appearance since January.

Harriers got off to a terrible start, falling behind after just six minutes; failing to deal with a high ball into the box from Ian Gayle on the right and knocked down by Reece Harris at the far post, they allowed Kadell Daniel to turn inside the penalty area and sweep the ball home.

The game was a poor spectacle, as could be expected from a game between the league's bottom two clubs, with limited goalmouth action. The home team were the brighter in the opening exchanges with Harriers yet again slow in starting the game. United should hve doubled their lead on 13 minutes but Kevin Lokko headed over the bar at the far post from Barney Williams' left-wing corner. At the other end Harriers eventually tested home keeper Marek Rodak with Ben Whitfield and James McQuilkin forcing him to save.

After the interval Harriers got into the game more. passing the ball well although with little end product, and didn't really look like they would get anything from the game. A poor spectacle seemed set to fizzle out into a 1-0 win for Welling that would consign Harriers to relegation but with eight minutes remaining the visitors pulled a goal back. Whitfield's pass set up Omari Patrick who saw his shot saved by Rodak but stand-in skipper Kelvin Langmead, who had moved into attack, was on hand to head home from close range.

The game turned round completely just a couple of minutes later; Harriers broke down a United attack with Elton Ngwatala carrying the ball out of defence before sending Whitfield away on the right, his low cross was met by McQuilkin who had made a lung-bursting run to keep up with the move and turned the ball home from close range to record his fifth goal of the season.

Harriers could still have had their relegation sealed had results elsewhere been unfavourable but as it was the teams above the relegation zone that could still be caught dropped points keeping Harriers alive, even if only for three more days when they entertain FC Halifax Town.