Taylor Maloney’s penalty was the difference as Welling United claimed all three points at high flying Chelmsford City.

In the first minute, Chelmsford fans claimed a handball in the penalty area, but their players weren’t interested. However, it fell for Harry Lodovica whose effort from wide inside the penalty area hit the crossbar.

There was then a supporters’ shout for a penalty for handball at the other end when Kodi Lyons-Foster met Taylor Maloney’s corner with a firm header that struck a Clarets’ defender.

Maloney then tried his luck from the edge of the penalty area but he didn’t get a clean connection and it rolled wide. At the other end Reece Grant had a shot that drew a comfortable save out of Myles Roberts.

Khale Da Costa put a low diagonal cross into the six-yard box but it was just beyond Simeon Jackson and Roberts was able to claim. Lodovica then chased a long clearance and lifted it over the outrushing Welling goalkeeper however Lyons-Foster, on debut, got back to force him wide and he was unable to get a shot away.

Finishing the first half as he had started it, Lodovica tried a curler from just inside the penalty area but he was unable to keep it down.

After three minutes of the second half, Welling went ahead. Chelmsford goalkeeper Eddie Beach struggled with a cross and flattened Dylan Gavin.

Maloney stepped up and crashed his spot kick into the top corner.

While the Wings celebrated, Chelmsford’s Head of Recruitment, Adam Drew, protested too strongly from the technical area and was shown a red card.

Kai Yearn hit a shot that appeared to be going wide, but Roberts tipped it away to be sure then Jackson burst down the inside left channel, but the Welling custodian read the danger and made the block.

Lodovica got on the end of a deep cross but Jamie Sendles-White did enough to stop him from getting a clean header on it and his effort floated wide then a cross from substitute Tom Blackwell skimmed the roof of the net.

Ten minutes remained when Kyrell Lisbie was introduced for his Welling debut and his liveliness gave the Clarets’ defence different problems.

However, the hosts had one last chance deep into injury time. A Cameron James cross was flicked goalwards by Callum Jones but Roberts made a tremendous reflex save to preserve Welling’s win.

Chelmsford City: Beach, Barnum-Bubb, Terry, Ochieng, James, Winfield, Yearn, Grant (Jones 74), Lodovica (Hockey 86), Jackson, Da Costa (Blackwell 60).

Subs not used: Marsden, Wilkes.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Winfield, Lodovica

Red card: Drew (technical area)

Welling United: Roberts, Howard, Powell, Dunne, Sendles-White, Lyons-Foster, Elito (Lisbie 80), Gavin (Kassarate 67), Payne (Parry 90+5), Azeez, Maloney.

Sub not used: McKenzie-Lyle, Barnes.

Goalscorers: Maloney pen (49)

Yellow cards: Gavin, Sendles-White, Payne, Feeney (technical area)

Referee: Michael Robertson-Tant

Assistants: Louis Dawson and Michael Scott

Attendance: 853

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.