Mike Phenix scored the only goal as Welling United put in a lack-lustre performance at home to Southport.
Dino Maamria celebrated his first game in charge of the Sandgrounders with a straight-forward victory.
His players showed their intent to impress from the start and almost scored in the first minute when Michael McEntegart was happy to smother the ball after a spot of penalty area pinball.
Harry Lee shot wide for Welling but the visitors had already recorded four corners before Welling won their first.
Sam Corne had a shot blocked after Lee knocked back a Xavier Vidal free kick.
Referee Chris Powell went down injured and fourth official Oliver Jackson took over just before the break, however there was still time for Josh Thompson to head over when he should have done better.
There was a delay to the re-start as a replacement official was sought but Welling contnued to mis-place passes as George Porter was left isolated up front.
They finally brought a save out of Max Crocombe when Vidal hit a free kick over the wall.
Sandgrounders substitute Andy Bishop netted after McEntegart saved Louis Almond’s shot but he had strayed into an offside position.
However, the escape was short lived as Phenix finished a move across the Welling penalty area after seventy-four minutes.
Substitute Michael Bakare headed wide from a Reece Harris cross but Welling rarely threatened and the match petered out timidly.
Afterwards, the Welling management team did not try to hide their disappointment. Head Coach Matthew McEntegart “We talked at the start of the game about distancing ourselves from teams like this and looking up the table. We want to be associated with the teams higher up the table.
“I think it came from a lack of intensity in the first half. We’ve been brutally honest with the boys about the way they played today.”
Manager Loui Fazakerley added “In training we work on a lot of possession work. We work on a lot of patterns to be able to get us in dangerous places.
“The lads didn’t show enough resposibility on the ball to make the most of our system and our overload in midfield to create those chances.”
Having won just one league game in eight, Welling will be looking to get back on track at Lincoln City next Saturday.
Welling United: McEntegart, Williams, Jefford (Osborne 90), Lee (Adeyinka 86), Chambers, Lokko, Vidal, Corne, Porter, Wellard (Bakare 72), Harris.
Unused substitutes: King, Taylor.
Southport: Crocombe, Challoner, Blakeman, Rutherford, Thompson, Foster, Phenix (Ryan 83), Wright (Joyce 68), Stockton (Bishop 65), Almond, Jones.
Unused substitutes: Viscosi, Nolan.
Referee: Chris Powell
Assistants: Paul Yates and Neil West
4th Official: Oliver Jackson
Welling star man: Barney Williams
Attendance: 603
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.