Relegated Welling United again let down their travelling supporters with a poor performance in their Vanarama National League South defeat at Chelmsford City.

They were so short of players that they could only name three substitutes but there should still have been enough quality to make a better fist of it. It took just five minutes for the hosts to go ahead. Jacob Bland passed to Charlie Ruff and he made space for himself before firing home.

Tyrese Briscoe came close to marking his full Welling league debut with a goal when Ted Collins pushed his low shot around the post before the hosts had another good chance when Nico Valentine sent Bland through and Rhys Lovett was called upon to make a good save.

Collins made a mess of a clearance and Gene Kennedy stuck out a leg and sent an instinctive prod narrowly wide before he had a more orthodox effort that flew just past the post.

Shortly after the half hour mark, Chelmsford scored a second. Ruaridh Donaldson delivered a deep corner, Arthur Penney headed back across goal and Ruff headed home from a central position inside the six yard box.

It should have been three shortly after when Valentine was fouled in the penalty area. He got himself back up and as he slotted it home, referee Joseph Dann-Pye blew his whistle and pointed to the spot, much to the bemusement of the hosts. Ruff stepped up to take the penalty and sent Lovett the wrong way but slid it wide to miss a first half hat-trick.

Scott Kashket came on for the injured Jack Burchell in the final minute of the first half and might have pulled one back early in the second period when Collins made a double save from him. It came out to Jez Davies who shot over from the edge of the penalty area.

Five minutes after the restart, Welling did pull one back. Josh Redfearn chased a long pass from Dan Martin and looked second favourite as Collins came out. However, the Clarets’ goalkeeper’s indecision proved costly and the Welling striker nicked it away before rolling it home.

Kane Crichlow tried to catch Lovett out with a quick free kick but the Welling goalkeeper was equal to it and got down to make an excellent save.

Collins made another misjudgement and Redfearn again robbed him. It fell to Kashket but he was unable to keep his effort down. Then, at the other end, Valentine burst through and had a shot that Lovett blocked out with his chest.

Hopes that Welling may have had of getting back on level terms were ended when they failed to clear a corner completely and it fell to Donaldson who fired into the bottom corner from twenty yards.

Kashket had a shot saved easily before Lovett was again called into action when blocking Bland’s shot from the right with his feet. Davies had a shot well held by Collins before the Chelmsford custodian made an outstanding save from Kashket with Redfearn closing in.

Redfearn then had a goal-bound shot blocked by Jazzi Barnum-Bobb before Lovett got ahead of Freddie Hockey from Donaldson’s knock-down.

Ten minutes remained when the Clarets scored their fourth. Valentine slid it across, and Hockey tapped it in. Four minutes later, it became a rout when Sam Oguntayo’s diagonal pass across goal found Archie Tamplin and he finished from close range. 

Kennedy twice came close in the final minutes, first when shooting just over then when heading wide of the far post from Kashket’s pull back.

Even had he scored, it would have been too little too late and Welling have just one match left until their forty plus years at steps one or two come to a close.

Chelmsford City: Collins, Barnum-Bobb, Donaldson, Tamplin (Akanbi 85), Appiah (Oguntayo 39), Penney, Valentine, Blackman (Mupomba 75), Ruff (Hockey 67), Bland, Crichlow (Hayes 83).

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Ruff (5), (32), Donaldson (55), Hockey (80), (Tamplin 84)

Yellow card: Barnum-Bobb (29 delay of restart)

Welling United: Lovett, Kamara, Martin, Bramble, Burchell (Kashket 45), Di Trolio, Cornish, Kennedy, Briscoe (Redfearn 45+1), Taylor-Crossdale, Davies (Ballard-McBride 71).

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Redfearn (50)         

Yellow cards: Bramble (22 foul), Kennedy (86 foul)

Referee: Joseph Dann-Pye

Assistants: Daniel Doyle and Matthew Rowling

Fourth Official: Oliver Morris-Saunders

Attendance: 788