Wellington bounced back from their disappointing start to the season with a gutsy performance to earn a point at Welton Rovers on Saturday in a 2-2 draw in Division One of the Toolstation Western League.

Colin Merrick’s side had lost their opening games 4-0 and 3-0 respectively but showed a good deal of character to produce a much improved display.

Welton had the better of the opening exchanges and former Salisbury City keeper Mike Neish, making his Wellington debut, produced a couple of smart stops early on.

But it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 14 minutes as skipper Leon Taswell swivelled to send in a low cross, which was turned home by Max Westlake.

The game turned on its head in the first 15 minutes of the second half as Welton went ahead with a pair of soft goals. First, striker Andrew Keen got in between Neish and central defender Ollie Feltham to head home.

And, shortly afterwards, a speculative cross from the right by Mattius Curtis sailed over the unfortunate Neish and into the net.

That could have been the signal for Wellington to drop their heads but instead they took the game to Welton and could even have returned home with all three points.

They equalised with 15 minutes remaining when the ball was headed through to Taswell who finished well and then should have wrapped up the game with five minutes remaining as Westlake was denied by a goalline clearance.

Wellington: Neish, Towler, Ellis, Feltham, Parker, Izzard, Cook, Collins, Rice, Westlake, Taswell. Substitutes, Holmes and Martin (used), Conway, Hopkins and Fox (not used).