Defeat at Torquay United was Welling United’s first Saturday league reversal of the season.

It was also Torquay’s tenth league game in a row undefeated since Gary Johnson took over as manager and the Gulls must now be favourites to end the season as champions.

They came out quickly making the most of having the wind with them in the first half and went ahead in just the third minute.

Making light of the boggy conditions, Jake Edwards found space twenty yards out and let fly with a low drive that nestled into the bottom corner.

One became two when Jamie Reid sent Saikou Janneh away and he finished in style from outside the penalty area.

Many teams would have folded after a start like that but Welling tried to get themselves back into the game and won a number of corners. One caused an almighty scramble that ended with Danny Mills stabbing a shot against the outside of the post.

Bradley Goldberg then had a shot well stopped by Shaun MacDonald but Torquay came back and again opened up the defence when Reid got free but Dan Wilks made an excellent save.

Then Andrews clipped a clever effort just wide.

At half time, Welling had to make a change. Shortly before the break, Craig Braham-Barrett was on the end of a shocking challenge by Rauiri Keaton, for which he might consider himself fortunate to escape with a yellow card. The Welling full back was replaced by Gavin McCallum for the second half.

Eight minutes of the second half had passed when Torquay went three up. Janneh’s shot was beaten out by Wilks but Jean-Yves Koue Niate was first to the rebound and he tucked it home clinically.

There was a life-line for Welling when Mills got clear. Torquay appealed for offside but Liam Davis played him on and as he went to go around MacDonald he was brought down for a penalty, Goldberg stepped up and converted confidently.

Wilks was again called into action, saving twice from Reid as the striker looked to extend his lead at the top of the league goalscoring charts.

McCallum came close to reducing the arrears further when his corner caught out MacDonald and crashed back off the crossbar but other than a McCallum free kick that was easily saved, Welling didn’t really threaten again.

In fact, Torquay might have added a fourth in the closing stages but Connor Lemonheigh-Evans’ shot was saved by Wilks.

Defeat left Welling in fourth place, five points behind the leaders but they have played two games fewer so there is still everything to play for with over half the season remaining.

 

Torquay United: MacDonald, Wynter (Sendles-White 88), Davis, Andrews (Hall 61), Koue-Niate, Cameron, Keating, Lemonheigh-Evans, Reid, Janneh, Lumbombo-Kalala (Dickson 79).

Subs not used:  Bass, Essuman.

 

Welling United: Wilks, McNamara, Braham-Barrett (McCallum 46), Ijaha, Orlu, Audel, Kiernan (Paterson 80), Mendy, Mills, Goldberg, L’Ghoul (Kissock 66).

Subs not used: Hill, Newton.

 

Torquay United:

Goalscorers: Andrews (2), Janneh (15), Koue-Niate (53)

Yellow cards: Janneh, Keaton, MacDonald.

Red cards: None

 

Welling United:

Goalscorers: Goldberg pen (60)

Yellow cards: McNamara

Red cards: None

 

 

Referee: Mark Howes

Assistants: Colin Hubbard and Stuart Kane

 

Attendance: 2,467

 

Welling star player: Dan Wilks

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.