DEVIZES TOWN 0 WELTON ROVERS 2
Welton got back to winning ways with a solid team performance that pleased the large contingent of the travelling Green Army, who had made the trip into deepest Wiltshire.
The first real chance of the game fell to Welton’s Lewis Coleman, but unfortunately, just as he was about to pull the trigger, the ball hit a bobble and his subsequent shot flew high over the Devizes bar. The hosts responded, and good play from Jamie Walters saw him tear through the Welton defence, only to skew his own shot across the goal.
Devizes were awarded a free-kick out on the left, where the delivery was met by Welton keeper, Tom Drewitt, but he dropped the ball, and in the melee that followed, Matt Lever headed goalwards towards the Welton net, only for a Welton boot to clear the ball off the goal-line.
Welton responded in style in the eighteenth minute, when a quality corner on the right from Aaron Cockerill was met by Joe Battrick, who rose above the Devizes defence to thump his power driver of a header into the Devizes net. The hosts were stunned by this setback, and Welton continued to play fast, attacking football, but too often were being caught offside by the Devizes high-line.
Just before the half-time whistle, Drewitt, who had been a spectator for much of the half, produced a good save low down to deny Mark Robinson’s twenty-yard shot on goal.
The early minutes of the second half saw Devizes have a real go at Welton, but the defence held firm and dealt with a series of corners for the hosts. As Welton appeared to weather the early storm, Aaron Seviour was brought on to spice up the Welton response. His first touch of the game saw him set up Chris Pile on the edge of the area, but his shot flew over the bar.
Next, it was Joe Garland’s time, as Welton turned up the gas, but his header was saved by Adam Walters in the Devizes goal. Then, further good play from Garland saw him launch a cracking shot that went a couple of inches wide of the target.
Welton were going all-out for the vital second goal to secure the game, and a scramble in the Devizes box saw Pile’s effort cleared off the goal-line. Welton could not completely relax, and Drewitt pulled off an outstanding save to deny Tom Slater.
With five minutes remaining, Welton got the vital second goal as Seviour was put through on-goal, and as Walters raced out to close him down, the striker delicately dinked the ball over the keeper and it floated into the empty net to secure all three points for Welton, much to the delight of the Green Army faithful.
This Saturday, 2nd February, Welton are on their travels again when they go to Chippenham Park; kick-off 3 p.m.
Bob Allard