Despite having a small squad and training part-time Welling United were good value for their two-nil victory over full-time league leaders Torquay United.

Manager Steve King had a game plan that his players executed to perfection. “It was an unbelievable performance. They gave us everything today, absolutely everything, and thoroughly deserved to win the game. I just felt that we wanted it more. I felt that everyone stood up to be counted.”

Explaining more fully he said “We knew where we could hurt them. We felt that we could get in behind the two centre halves. We know how quick Jack (Barham) is. We told him to play on the shoulder, and to have the two (centre halves) booked and one sent off, and could have been sent off earlier, everything that we felt we could do we did.”

He continued “I took a little bit from when I watched them at Dartford, and in the first half Dartford could have been two or three nil up and they got turned behind. We had them watched again on Wednesday and we just felt anything in front of them, they are a powerful team and they’re going to eat everything, but in behind them, we’re going to cause problems and that’s exactly what we did.”

Barham’s strike partner, Danny Mills, was also praised. “I just felt that on the day they couldn’t handle Millsy. He won every single header. They tried to put players in front of him and one behind him to try and block that off and he was still getting up and winning headers.

“If you’ve got that, then you have to use it. Yes, I like to play, play, play but today you had to know what way it was possible to beat them and I thought turning them around was the possible way of beating them.”

Fatigue and injuries didn’t help, Welling’s cause and King admitted that they were having to dig in during the latter stages. “There was ten minutes to go and I was looking around at Richard (Orlu), who hasn’t played for ages. Thierry (Audel)’s broken down, we knew that in the warm up, and Richard’s come in and hasn’t put a foot wrong for me. He’s cleared everything, he’s read everything. He was outstanding.

“Ach (Anthony Acheampong) is holding his ankle. He was holding it before the game as well so we strapped that up. No-one knew about the ankle. He only came to me just before the game as he so wanted to play in the game.

“Jordan (Gibbons) was stretching out. (Arnaud) Mendy was almost saying ‘take me off’. Gavin (McCallum) ran himself into the ground. The same players are doing it again and again and again. It’s a testament to them. They deserved the win.”

Another player to warrant a mention was Mendy, an unsung hero. “Mendy just sits in there and does a job. He breaks the play up and gives it to people who can play and I thought he and David Ijaha were outstanding in the centre of the park. They needed to be.

“They’ve got Jake Andrews in there who’s scored ten goals this year and he didn’t get near our goal today.”

Following their win at Oxford on Tuesday, King felt the best preparation for the Torquay game was by giving them a rest. “I gave them Thursday night off after the tremendous hard work on Tuesday at Oxford. I gave them Valentine’s night off to spend with their partners which I thought was only right. They are good lads. They look after themselves.”