Hereford FC 0-2 Welling United
Welling United extended their unbeaten league and F.A. Cup run to nine matches with a good solid performance at Hereford.
Following on from their professional performance at Bath seven days earlier, Steve King made one change bringing in fit again Brendan Kiernan for injured Gavin McCallum.
Just as they had done at Bath, they came out brightly and Jack Jebb tested Hereford goalkeeper Martin Horsell early on with a free kick around the defensive wall but it didn’t have sufficient power to trouble him too much.
Dan Wilks had what was probably his easiest afternoon of the season and only had to make one save, a comfortable one from a Lewis Hall shot that turned out to be the hosts’ only shot on target.
Danny Greenslade put in an excellent cross that Eliot Richards headed wide before Welling went ahead.
Michael McGrath fouled Nassim L’Ghoul, not for the first time, and Jebb’s delightful free kick was met with a thumping Thierry Audel header. Sadly for the hosts Horsell and McGrath collided in painful fashion. Horsell was knocked out and was stretchered off with concussion and McGrath had to leave the pitch with blood pouring out of a broken nose.
Hereford were limited to long shots and Jamie Bird, tried his luck from outside the penalty area however his effort flew well wide.
At the other end Jebb delivered a corner to the near post but Kiernan was unable to find the target with his header as the interval approached.
After the break, Josh Hill prodded wide after Danny Mills headed down Jebb’s corner then Kiernan tried to slip Mills through but seventeen year old substitute Brandon Powell was out quickly to smother it.
Bird fired over again from the edge of the area after a corner was half cleared before Welling doubled their lead.
Some managers bring all eleven players back to defend corners but King left two up and was rewarded. When it came out to L’Ghoul he raced away before trying to slip Kiernan through. Although he had checked his run he refused to give it up and chased it to the bye-line. Having kept it in, he made a run across the penalty area before spinning to slam it beyond the young goalkeeper.
Richards headed another Greenslade cross wide for Hereford but that was there last chance. Welling saw the game out comfortably and were able to give Jordan Gibbons and David Ijaha run outs as they returned from injury.
Although Jebb failed to hit the target with a couple of late free-kicks it mattered little as Welling put their name in the hat for Monday’s fourth qualifying round draw.
By Mark Doig
