In a cracking match at West Clewes, Welton recorded their first win since August and moved off the bottom of the table with a battling all-round team performance over their visitors from Wiltshire.
The visitors were the first to show when a pile driver of a shot from Lewes McCarron flashed across the Welton goal, going inches wide of the far post. Chippenham took the lead on the seventh minute when an error in the Welton defence saw the ball fall to Ryan Tyrell on the right of the area and he hooked his effort over Andy King, in the Welton goal, and into the net.
Welton responded and a header from striker, Jackson Hamilton, went close. Welton equalised in the twentieth minute, when the visitors failed to clear their lines and the ball fell to Malick Jammeh, who thumped a 25-yard volley low into the Chippenham net to score a very good goal.
Welton then had full-back, Dan Veal, to thank when he cleared a Chippenham effort off the goal line with King beaten. The visitors were pressing the Welton defence, but Tom Smith and Charlie Cook were having good games for Welton at the back. Just before the half-time whistle, a first-time effort from full back, Jamie Norman, rocked the Welton post.
The second half began with both sides going all out for the important next goal, a chip from Hamilton was well saved by Tom Drewitt in the Chippenham goal. At the other end, the trailing legs of keeper, King, denied Mark Robinson. Welton suffered a setback in the sixtieth minute when from thirty yards out Robinson saw King off his line, so the striker launched a shot that curled over the retreating keeper into the net to give the visitors the lead. Welton’s heads didn’t drop and five minutes later, the lively Aaron Seviour was brought down in the box. Referee, Pearce, had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Up stepped Jammeh who calmly drilled his spot kick straight down the middle into the net to equalise for Rovers.
Liam Orchard was brought on for Welton and his first contribution to the game was a cracking shot from the left that beat the keeper only to be cleared off the goal line. As full-time approached, there was no let-up in the action, but it was Welton who got the all-important goal.
The ball was played to Shakell Green to the right of the goal and he delicately lobbed his effort over the advancing keeper and into the net to send the Green Army into raptures. At the same time, Chippenham Park’s Tyrell was shown a second yellow card for something he said to the referee, and he was off. As the final whistle was blown, there were tremendous scenes at West Clewes with the spectators and players celebrating a great result for Welton.
Bob Allard