Despite being down to the bare bones, Welling gave a great account of themselves and could easily have come away from Cambridge with a point.

After ex-Dart Tom Champion sliced a shot wide early on both teams tried to play their way through the respective defences.

Toby Ajala shot over for Welling from a tight angle after great work by Lee Clarke as the visitors enjoyed a good spell.

Ross Lafayette, who may have been rushed back too early, twice needed treatment before he had to be replaced by Harry Cornick in the 25^th minute.

Adam Cunnington had the Cambridge supporters screaming for a penalty when he went down in the area but he was adjudged to have fouled Barney Williams to get into the position.

Cornick hit the only shot on target in the first half but his low shot was claimed comfortably.

Nathan Arnold tested Welling with some mazy runs but when he looked likely to get a shot in, clever defending by debutant Quade Taylor allowed Wings goalkeeper Lee Butcher to mop up.

Just before half time, Cambridge struggled to clear a corner but after teeing himself up well, Ajala shot well over.

If Welling shaded the first period, it was very different in the early part of the second half.

Liam Hughes headed over Richard Tait’s cross then Ryan Donaldson drew a stunning one handed save out of Butcher.

Delano Sam-Yorke shot over when he should have done better and Butcher had to make saves from Adam Cunnnington and Hughes as the pressure mounted.

Another attack saw Welling’s defence again stretched and Loui Fazakerley’s foul on Donaldson was punished with the award of a penalty and yellow card.

Welling did not fold though and Richard Tait made a brilliant saving tackle from Cornick’s cross at the cost of the corner from which the Wings equalised.

Josh Wakefield swung in a corner that begged a header home and Tobi Sho-Silva obliged by nodding inside the far post.

Unfortunately for Welling, their lead was short lived when substitute, and former Wing, Andy Pugh sent Sam-Yorke away. This time, the speedy striker did not waste the opportunity as he struck his firm low shot beyond Butcher.

Appeals for a Welling penalty were refused when Cornick’s shot appeared to have been handled in the area before Sho-Silva’s header was tipped over by Will Norris in the Cambridge goal.

After Donaldson had shot over from Cambridge, Welling substitute Malik Ouani muscled his way through the Cambridge defence but could not get his shot on target.

Low Ouani crosses twice caused chaos in the Cambridge defence but although there were half chances at either end, the team placed second in the league held out for an important three points.

 

Cambridge: Norris, Taylor, Coulson, Miller, Donaldson, Champion, Cunnington (Pugh 71), Tait, Berry (Hughes 46),  Chadwick, Arnold (Sam-Yorke 46).

Unused substitutes: Roberts, Bird.

Welling United: Butcher, Fazakerley, Williams, Wakefield, Taylor, Mawson, Ajala (Ouani 52), Clarke,  Sho-Silva, Lafayette (Cornick 25), Healy.

Unused substitutes: Turner, Karagiannis, Day.

Referee: Paul Rees

Attendance: 2,012

Welling star man: Joe Healy

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.