Despite dominating the majority of the game, Welling United suffered a 2-0 defeat at fifth placed Nuneaton Town.

Plenty of chances went begging against a home team that didn’t register a single corner and scored from two of their three on target attempts.

Joe Healy shot well over for Welling early on and Adam Walker fired wide for Nuneaton from distance before the visitors took control of the game.

Louis Moult escaped a caution for an off the ball body check on Alfie Mawson that was spotted by the referee’s assistant before Welling created and missed a host of chances.

Toby Ajala’s flick for Tobi Sho-Silva was well claimed by James Belshaw in the Nuneaton goal then, after Harry Beautyman’s free kick was headed away for a corner, Mawson’s overhead kick from the half hearted clearance floated wide of the far post.

Jake Gallagher then miscued an effort that floated over a scurrying Belshaw onto the roof of the net.

Further chances went Welling’s way and Beautyman missed a great chance at the end of a great flowing move that ripped open the Nuneaton defence.

Beautyman then connected cleanly with a shot that flew into Belshaw’s mid-drift before the first booking of the game.

Gallagher’s refusal to go down under a heavy challenge from James Armson, saved the Nuneaton player a booking but Healy wasn’t so lucky when his late tackle in the next phase of play was punished with a yellow card.

Healy then missed another great chance just before the break. Ajala made room to cross to the far post but the stretching Healy was unable to squeeze his touch back into the empty net.

Even after the break, it seemed only a matter of time before Welling scored and they had an early opportunity early after the re-start.

Ajala was again the architect when collecting a clearance from a corner. He chipped towards Ross Lafayette but the Welling talisman was unable to guide his effort beyond Belshaw.

Again. Healy was close but blasted over after Alfie Mawson’s header was blocked into his path.

Incredibly, the hosts went ahead following a highly contentious free kick. Theo Streete had a header  clawed away but Andrew Brown’s header crossed the line as the ball came back in.

Welling manager Jamie Day made three attacking changes to try and get something out of the game and one, Josh Wakefield, tested Belshaw before the hosts again broke to make the game safe.

In a raid that saw Nuneaton have five players against two, the ball was shifted out to Daniel Sleath, and his cross was headed home by David Hibbert.

Day will have to pick his unlucky team up quickly ready for the Wings’ visit to Lincoln City on Tuesday.

 

Nuneaton: Belshaw, Delfouneso, Streete, Cowan, Dean, Walker (Trainer 59), Sleath, Armson, Brown (Adams 90), Moult (Hibbert 59).York.

Unused substitutes: Trainer, Gordon, Taylor, Hibbert.

Welling United: Butcher, Fazakerley, Bender, Gallagher (Clarke 78), Mawson, Hudson, Beautyman (Wakefield 72), Ajala (Guthrie 70), Sho-Silva, Lafayette, Healy.

Unused substitutes: McLaren, Turner.

Referee: Declan Ford

Attendance: 929

Welling star man: Toby Ajala

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.