Welling United shared the spoils with Eastbourne Borough from a 2-2 draw at Priory Lane on Saturday afternoon.
After falling behind just before the break against the run of play, the Wings pulled themselves level midway through the second half, before getting their noses in front shortly after, but a late leveller from the home side left the Wings heading home with just a point.
The visitors started brightly in the East Sussex sunshine and came inches away from a stunning opener with five minutes gone through Tristan Abrahams.
The striker, making his league debut after a hugely-impressive bow in the FA Cup last weekend, looked to pick one out from distance, sending a delicate chip looping over keeper Harrison Foulkes from all of 30 yards, only for it to bounce back off the crossbar.
Welling looked threatening going forward with Lewis White pulling back for Anthony Papadopoulos to fire over, before some excellent football saw Cameron Green pick out Dominic Odusanya in space with a brilliant cross, but the Wings’ number 10 could only side-foot his volley just wide.
At the other end, it was 25 minutes before Ben Winterbottom’s goal was troubled when he was equal to a fairly-tame Jay Beckford effort, while former Wing Yaser Kasim threatened with a skimmed shot across the face of goal from a tight angle.
In truth, Welling were always looking the more likely in the first 45 as Papadopoulos forced Foulkes into a save at full stretch from 25 yards just before the break, but it was the home side who would head for the dressing rooms at half-time in front and against the run of play.
With two minutes of first-half injury-time played, Crossley Lema was adjudged to have committed a foul in the box, leaving the referee pointing to the spot – sub Decarrey Sheriff stepped up and sent Winterbottom the wrong way, rolling his spot-kick into the bottom left-hand corner.
Welling could not continue their flow going into the second half with the game going somewhat flat with the home side attempting to close the game out with their solitary goal lead.
The Wings needed a spark and they got it in the 67th minute via Jephte Tanga’s first goal for the club.
Crossley Lema’s cross found Papadopoulos, whose shot was blocked well by a stretching leg, but the hosts could only clear as far as the Leyton Orient loanee who slammed his shot into the back of the net to restore parity.
Danny Bloor’s men had their tails up and could smell blood. Indeed, they got themselves into the lead six minutes later.
A corner delivery was met by the head of Dominic Odusanya from close range and Abrahams was on hand to turn it home and, seemingly, turn the game around.
Come the 86th minute, however, Eastbourne would draw level, again scoring against the run of play.
An initial shot was blocked in the box by the Welling defence, but deflected into the path of Shiloh Remy, who found the bottom left-hand corner to make it 2-2.
The Wings could, perhaps, think themselves somewhat unlucky to only garner a single point from the encounter but it remains a good point on the road with attention now returning to the FA Cup in the form of a trip to Gosport Borough next weekend.
Eastbourne Borough: Foulkes, Procter, Finney, Remy, Paxman, Beckford (Holman 67), Kasim, Carter (Bridgman 78), Gravata (Sheriff 15), Emmerson, Beard.
Subs (not used): Quick, Vigar.
Booked: Procter 36 (foul on Tanga), Paxman 45+3 (excessive celebrations), Carter 45+6 (time-wasting), Holman 71 (simulation)
Goals: Sheriff 45+2 (pen), Remy 86.
Welling United: Winterbottom, Lema, Byrd, Burchell (Dickenson 80), Green, Tanga, Vaughan, Odusanya, White (Muwonge 75), Papadopoulos, Abrahams.
Subs (not used): Adom, Bramble, Kamara.
Booked: Burchell 57 (foul), Muwonge 83 (holding on to ball)
Goals: Tanga 67, Abrahams 73
Referee: Isaac Searle
Att: 1,540
