Despite being the better team for the first hour, Welling United ended up going down to their joint highest defeat of 2023.

They suffered due to a failure to convert a series of chances along with St Albans City’s clinical finishing.

Kodi Lyons-Foster had the first opportunity, as Welling started the faster, when firing over after Christie Pattisson had set him up.

However, it was the hosts who went ahead in their first foray in the seventh minute. Kyran Wiltshire played it through the Welling back four and Glenn McConnell raced onto it to fire home.

Ryan Blackman miss-hit a shot into the path of McConnell but he couldn’t get any power on his effort before Welling again created a good chance that they failed to finish. Dan Nkrumah turned his man well and eased across the penalty area but he sent his shot the wrong side of the far post.

Rob Howard’s afternoon was then ended with a head injury that required a reshuffle with Sam Cox coming on and taking the left back position with Aaron Barnes switching over to right back.

Shaun Jeffers tried an acrobatic effort that floated harmlessly wide before Welling again came close. Great wing play by Pattisson got him into a good position to lay it back for Stefan Payne and he struck his shot sweetly, only to see it clatter the bar and fly over.

Kai McKenzie-Lyle made regulation saves from Joe Mukena and Chay Cooper before Welling missed another golden opportunity just before the break. Medy Elito crossed and found Payne unmarked in the middle but he failed to hit the target with his header.

After the interval, Nkrumah had a shot blocked wide before Welling were unable to force an opening from a massive scramble inside the St Albans penalty area.

McConnell drew a save out of McKenzie-Lyle then Cooper arrived late to connect with a deep cross from Tafari Moore but the angle was against him and he could only shoot into the outside of the side netting.

Twenty second half minutes had passed when the Saints scored the crucial second goal. Aiden Francis-Clarke found McConnell and he finished well, shooting into the bottom corner.

Looking to complete his hat-trick, McConnell had a powerful shot beaten out by McKenzie-Lyle before he hooked over after Devante Stanley’s cross caused problems for the Welling defence.

Substitute Ade Azeez hit a shot that brought a good save out of Dylan Berry before Cooper shot wide from Francis-Clarke’s low cross at the other end. It continued to be end to end and Pattisson had a shot blocked into the path of James Dunne who shot well wide.

Chasing the game meant that Welling were prone to the counter-attack and the hosts put the game to bed with eleven minutes remaining. Mitchell Weiss was sent clear down the left and he angled his shot beyond McKenzie-Lyle and inside the far post.

As the game came to a close, Sam Cox got forward and was denied by an excellent save by Berry but it was too little too late and Welling will have to dust themselves down ahead of their Kent Senior Cup semi-final at Chatham Town on Tuesday evening.

St Albans City: Berry, Stanley, Moore, Francis-Clark, Mukena, Adebiyi, Moore, McConnell, Blackman (Dawson 73), Cooper, Jeffers (Weiss 66), Wiltshire (Smith 80).

Subs not used: Neal, Banton.

Goalscorers: McConnell (7), (65), Weiss (79)

Yellow cards: Blackman

Welling United: McKenzie-Lyle, Howard (Cox 27), Barnes, Parry (Azeez 66), Sendles-White, Lyons-Foster, Pattisson, Dunne, Nkrumah (Lisbie 66), Azeez, Elito, Pattisson.

Subs not used: Gavin, Andrews.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Howard, Payne, Nkrumah

Referee: Lewis Sandoe

Assistants: James Welsh and Thomas Wood

Attendance: 1,908

Pictures supplied by Michael Brown.