It was a tough afternoon on the road for Welling United as nearly all the fireworks came from Bath City.

After Maxwell Statham had done well to cut out a low Alex Fletcher cross with Cody Cooke looking to get on the end of it, Bath had two great chances to go ahead. First Omar Holness side footed wide from fifteen yards out after Zak Delaney had squared it for him.

Then, after Arthur Penney had made a brilliant interception ahead of Cooke from another low Fletcher cross, Bath won a corner and there was havoc in the six yard box. Fletcher’s effort came down off the bar and Cooke’s follow up was cleared off the line.

Cooke had a low shot from out wide swallowed up by Jack Sims then Cooke found Fletcher but Bradley Pearce got back to hurry him and he couldn’t finish. Statham then did likewise to stop Cooke from getting a shot away.

Immediately after the break, Elliott Frear delivered a diagonal free kick that found Callum Wood at the far post but he was unable to guide his header home before Welling registered their first shot on target, a tame effort by Che Krabbendam.

Krabbendam then looked to create a break for the Wings but Wood took one for the team by bringing him down at the cost of a yellow card. 

Soon after, Bath broke the deadlock. An overhit corner found it’s way to Frear and he controlled it before burying it in the bottom corner.

Peter Taylor made an immediate double change and Welling started to show some urgency at last. Kristian Campbell put over a deep cross that Daniel Carr bundled home but it was with his hand and earned him Welling’s first caution of the afternoon.

Carr then did well to chase an apparently lost cause before finding Ade Shokunbi but his effort was blocked by Wood. Shokunbi then did likewise at the other end to thwart Tom Smith.

Finally, Ryan Clarke was called upon to make a serious save when Campbell cut inside and let fly but the Romans’ custodian tipped over. Bradley Stevenson took the corner quickly and found Campbell and Clarke made an even better save to turn that shot over.

As Welling searched for an equaliser, they got caught short at the back with five minutes remaining and Smith broke and crossed deep for Fletcher who sent an unstoppable volley into the top corner.

Although the contest was over, Welling claimed a consolation goal with almost the last touch of the match when Penney bundled a header home from Krabbendam’s cross.

Bath City: Clarke, Raynes, Delaney, Mehew (Smith 70), Wood, Fletcher, Cooke, Holness (Richards 86), Frear, Dyer, Owers (James 88).

Subs not used: Wilkinson, Batten.

Goalscorers: Frear (64), Fletcher (85)

Yellow cards: Wood, Delaney

Welling United: Sims, Barnes (Assidjo 86), Penney, Durojaiye, Pearce, Statham, Shokunbi, Stewart (Stevenson 66), Akinyemi (Carr 66), Krabbendam, Campbell.

Subs not used: Ezennolim, Richards.

Goalscorers: Penney (90+)

Yellow cards: Carr, Statham

Referee: Richie Watkins

Assistants: Jack Clench and Thomas Staten

Attendance: 853

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.