Much changed Welling United ended their winless streak with a hard fought win over Chelmsford City.

Four players made their Welling debuts while two more experienced competitive action at Park View Road for the first time. New manager Wayne Feeney has changed the spine of the team completely with a new goalkeeper, two centre backs, two centre midfielders and a striker. He also surprised the Welling supporters by playing leading scorer Dipo Akinyemi wide on the left.

Although it was tough with so many players playing together for the first time, they did what they needed to do and picked up their first league win in seven outings, and just their second in thirteen league games.

Neither team created anything in the opening exchanges and Tom Derry was first to chance his arm with a shot that might have had Chelmsford goalkeeper James Dillon struggling, but for a brave block by Eduino Vaz.

Chez Isaac, who has been a nemesis for Welling in previous seasons, had a shot from the edge of the area taken comfortably by Reading loanee goalkeeper, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, for his first save in a Welling shirt.

The deadlock was broken ten minutes before half time. An excellent through ball by Bradley Stevenson sent Alfie Matthews away down the inside right position. Although his first touch took him slightly away from goal, he still had the angle to fire in a low diagonal cross towards the far post and Akinyemi timed his run perfectly to tap in the easiest of his fourteen league goals scored this season.

Boyce-Clarke was out quickly to save at the feet of Dara Dada-Anite, who had done well to weave his way through before Maxwell Statham did well to block a shot from the dangerous Tom Blackwell.

Blackwell tried his luck with a long range free kick that bounced into the arms of Boyce-Clarke and he had another simple save when Cameron James headed a free kick straight at him with no power.

After the interval, Akinyemi tried to repay the favour to Matthews by creating an opening for him, but the debutant’s attempted chip floated into the hands of a grateful Dillon. The Clarets’ goalkeeper had to work harder soon afterwards when Statham found Akinyemi, and his powerful drive was struck towards the bottom corner, but Dillon made an outstanding save.

Chelmsford made a double substitution but still struggled to break down the defence marshalled superbly by captain Jamie Sendles-White, and the best that they could offer was a skied shot from distance by former Wing Charlie Sheringham, that disappeared into the trees behind the goal.

More clever footwork by Dada-Anite created a shooting chance that he curled over before Boyce-Clarke made the only save that really tested him when Adebola Oluwo stabbed an effort towards the top corner.

Joe Muscatt thought that he had made the game safe when firing home when a corner was not cleared but the flag was up for offside, and his strike did not count.

In the final ten minutes, Blackwell had a shot deflected wide after clever work by Matthew Rush, then, from the corner, James’s header against his former club, failed to hit the target.

Feeney now has a few more days to, potentially, add to his squad before deadline day, and two weeks to prepare them for their next game away to Tonbridge Angels.

Welling United: Boyce-Clarke, Statham, Ezennolim, Sendles-White, Curren, Margetson, Sablier, Stevenson (Muscatt 69), Derry, Matthews (Pearce 86), Akinyemi. Subs not used: Allen, Burnett, Wells.