It wasn't a great game and it took a long shot to break the deadlock. We won our first game on the 7th match last season. There were more new faces than I thought, but they look decent.
-- Edited by DaveC on Saturday 8th of August 2026 08:07:58 PM
Looks a decent and together squad already. Felt like a start of the season game, and with the heat coukd have sleepwalked to a nil nil so well done Maxy for waking the team up at vital moments and managing the subs expertly. A screamer from Arthur, a well worked final goal in added time, a clean sheet, and a nice cold beer in the sunshine. Given previous seasons - i really can't ask much more than that. COYW.
Totally deserved victory today, a very solid win to get the season underway is the best takeaway from the game.
The whole game in truth was a real battle, as credit to Whitehawk who defended their box really well, with their GK in particular having to save at point blank range at one point to keep Sam Smith out as well as a few other players, also collecting many balls that went into the Whitehawk penalty box.
2nd half in truth we never really fully stepped into gear, but all it took was a brilliant shot from outside the D by Chris Arthur which flew in through the GK, which was just the bit of luck we needed. Full credit to Chris for taking the shot, as he could have easily passed it, but it shows the confidence individuals now have in the team to take a risk, which got us the opening goal.
From that point we were pretty comfortable, and it never felt like Whitehawk would score, and as they committed up the field around the 90, one counter and we finished them off.
A really solid start to the season, and hopefully we push on from here to a good season.
Little to add other than the shouts of Shoot for goal one were perfectly good, goal two was very nicely worked, and Whitehawk didnt play very well. Nice defensive shape and game management on their part in the first half but then they fell apart nicely. Up the Wings and such.
A thoroughly deserved victory against limited opposition. I felt we played better in the first half and still sat too deep playing up the hill in the second half but we persevered and got over the line in the end. The manager has definitely assembled a string squad this season if you add Majoyegbe and Howard to the 16 from yesterday. We have a strong bench and options in most positions and on the pitch we look very healthy. Good to have the keeper back and to keep a clean sheet. Man of the match for me was definitely TYRELL Miller-Rodney.
However, despite the superb efforts of our volunteers, things are still a mess off the pitch. The shirt sponsorship business is a fiasco. To not produce a programme for the first game of the season (paper or digital) is a disgrace. The social media yesterday was woeful - three attempts at the starting XI and the final attempt was still wrong! Advertising hoardings coming apart. Scoreboard not working and showing a picture of the (old) club badge and the tannoy cutting in and out throughout. The single most important factor is to get things right on the pitch and we are heading in the right direction there but we need to improve massively off the pitch....
On to Leatherhead on Tuesday who will be buoyed by their away win yesterday and playing their first home game. Hopefully a good number of Welling fans there and we can get another positive result.
