Five first half goals enabled Ebbsfleet United to enjoy a stress free victory over Welling United.

Rakish Bingham and Craig Tanner both claimed braces in the first period as the hosts gave their local rivals an afternoon to forget.

It took less than a minute for the Fleet to go ahead. Dominic Poleon was given a clean sight of goal but his shot came back off the base of the goal. Chaos ensued in the penalty area but it came out to Tanner who made no mistake with a clean finish.

Tanner then turned provider when sending Bingham through and he fired home.

Jack Sims was out quickly to save from Poleon, and the Fleet man again came close when his shot was deflected wide.

At the other end, Ade Shokunbi had a shot blocked after a free kick was not cleared but any hopes that Welling may have had of getting back into the game were ended almost immediately. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling’s shot came back out off Sims but fell kindly for Bingham who finished with a clean strike.

Trying to keep possession by passing around at the back, Bradley Stevenson’s pressing caused a sloppy Ebbsfleet pass which he intercepted giving him a shooting chance but his effort was well saved low down by Chris Haigh. However, their passing was a lot cleaner when they created a fourth goal that was slid home by Tanner from Greg Cundle’s cross.

Alfie Egan made it five when his cross shot flew in off the inside off the far post but Welling had the last goal attempt of the first half when Haigh made a flying save from Kristian Campbell’s free kick.

After the break, Adebayo-Rowling thought that he had made it six when following up from a good save by Sims but a flag was up for offside then Tanner had a shot deflected wide with Sims wrong-footed. Sido Jombati met a corner with a flick that came back off the post then Kreshnic Krasniqi met another with a header that flew just over.

Poleon pulled back for Bingham but he side-footed well wide before having a shot himself that was saved by Sims.

Substitute Michael West had a shot that bobbled wide then Cundle was unable to steer home after being set up by Adebayo-Rowling. Cundle again came close but Ebbsfleet had one last chance with a minute to go and Elliott Romain hit a precision shot inside the far post from twenty yards.  

Ebbsfleet United: Haigh, Adebayo-Rowling, J.Martin, Jombati, Chapman, Cundle, Egan, Solly (Krasniqi (61), Tanner (West 73), Bingham (Romain 61), Poleon. Subs not used: Firth, Kahraman.

Goalscorers: Tanner (1), (36) Bingham (10), (24), Egan (41), Romain (89)

Yellow cards: Tanner, Chapman

Welling United: Sims, Barnes, Ezennolim (Muscatt 46), Penney, Pearce (Stewart 46), Statham, Shokunbi (Ilic 71), Krabbendam, Stevenson, Campbell. Subs not used: Carr, Richards.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Barnes

Referee: Oliver Mackey

Assistants: Luigi Lungarella and Ryan Head

Attendance: 1,302

Images courtesy of Dave Budden