Men's football news
Written by: DanielL
Kaan Bennett struck the only goal of the game deep into stoppage time as Lewes FC men notched their third consecutive win in dramatic fashion against Welling United.
The Rooks, playing in a new gold and black kit to mark the club’s 140th anniversary, overcame a strong opponent that had also won its last two Isthmian League Premier Division matches.
Both teams had chances to score in a closely-matched first half, but neither converted.
Welling’s John Ufuah was a notable threat, testing the Lewes defence with his pace on multiple occasions. In the eighth minute, he played a low cross to TQ Addy, who blazed over from point-blank range.
One of the best early chances for Lewes came when Lukas Franzen-Jones smartly held up his marker, allowing the ball to reach Charlie Walker whose shot was kept out by Roraigh Browne.
Lewes then dominated possession after the break, facilitating the creation of more scoring opportunities.
The on-target efforts that stemmed from those opportunities produced more good saves from Browne.
There was one spell of play in particular, just before the hour mark, when the Welling keeper made three stops in quick succession to deny substitute Bennett from close range, Parish Muirhead from afar and Olly Hamstead’s downward header from a corner.
That kept the teams level-pegging beyond the 90, but the visitors’ hopes of coming away with a point were dealt a blow in the first of nine planned additional minutes, when Jack Paxman was sent off for a foul on Bennett.
The Lewes breakthrough came 11 minutes later, when Browne parried Bobby Unwin’s shot from the right-hand side. The loose ball fell to Bennett, who had charged into the box and was able to slot home from close range.
An even later Welling corner – stoppages in additional time extended the second half further – raised the tension as it led to Browne heading onto the post, but the Rooks held firm to extend their unbeaten run to four games.
It also marked the second 90-plus minute winner in as many home fixtures, after Unwin’s late goal against Dartford earlier in December.
Victory moves the Rooks up to eighth in the Premier Division table. They will play their final match of 2025 away to East Sussex rivals Whitehawk on 27 December.
Lewes (Craig Nelson): Rogers, Bernal, Burchell, Hamstead, Kpakpé (West 82’), Christian-Law © (Hamouchene 82’), Muirhead, Allen (Bennett 37’), Unwin, Franzen-Jones (Bassett 63’), Walker (Watson 90+13’)
Booked: Christian-Law, Watson, Kpakpé
Subs not used: none
Welling United (Ryan Maxwell): Browne, Majoyegbe, Black (Chambers 64’), Ufuah, Arthur, Thomas ©, Addy, Savane, Sach (Oke-William 76’), Pepe (Walker 70’), Reynolds (Paxman 73’)
Booked: Chambers, Majoyegbe
Sent off: Paxman
Subs not used: none
Player of the match: Olly Hamstead
Referee: Thomas Copping
Attendance: 800