Welling United finished their Blue Square Bet South championship winning season with a low key performance against play-off bound Eastleigh.

However, the celebrations that followed were far more exuberant.

Eastleigh’s players gave the Welling team a guard of honour as they came onto the field to be met by the cheers of the biggest gate recorded in the league throughout the season.

It didn’t take long for the Wings’ players to enjoy another loud roar as they went ahead in the eleventh minute.

Kurtis Guthrie hit a crisp volley inside Jack Dovey’s near post following good work by Joe Healy and Joe Obersteller that created a crossing opportunity that Kiernan Hughes-Mason didn’t waste.

Hughes-Mason was in the action again soon after seeing his shot saved from Ross Lafayette’s raking pass.

Again, the pace of Hughes-Mason was too much for Eastleigh but his shot on the run went wide.

Alex Lacey had Eastleigh’s best opportunity in the first period but headed wide from Glen Southam’s free kick.

Two free kicks in good positions were wasted by the visitors as Damien Scannell planted the first into the middle of the defensive wall and Jai Reason hit the second well wide.

Lee Clarke was cautioned for Welling for dissent then Dovey was booked for taking out Hughes-Mason at full pace as he burst through. Other referees may have been stricter but presumably a back tracking defender did enough to persuade Nigel Lugg that Dovey’s foul had not robbed Welling of a goal scoring opportunity.

Further bookings followed before the free kick was taken. Scott Kinch was punished for distracting Dovey as he set his wall and Dean Beckwith followed him in the book following a bout of all-in wrestling.

Eventually, the kick was taken by Fraser Franks whose low effort went just wide.

Lafayette found Hughes-Mason but his volley was kept out by an outstanding save by Dovey.

The introduction of substitutes Mitchell Nelson and Adam Watkins appeared to give the Spitfires some fresh impetus and the latter soon had a shot deflected agonisingly wide by an outstretched Welling leg.

Just eight minutes remained when Eastleigh equalised. Dale Binns got free down the right wing and unleashed a shot that was tipped acrobatically onto the crossbar.  Predator Craig McAllister was on-hand to net from close range.

Watkins struck over the bar twice from the edge of the penalty area as the visitors attempted to replicate their feat of last season of being the only visiting team to beat Welling however they were almost undone in the final minute.

Michael Green’s blind back-pass found Guthrie in miles of space but the Welling front man chipped straight to the grateful Dovey as Jon Main sprinted forward in the hope of the ball being squared.

 

Welling United: Mott, Fazakerley, Joe Obersteller, Kinch (Main 82), Franks, Acheampong, Hughes-Mason, Clarke, Guthrie, Lafayette (Fairweather-Johnson 65), Healy (Fakinos 72).

Unused substitutes: Reid, Craddock.

Eastleigh: Dovey, Forbes, Green, Hughes, Lacey, Beckwith (Nelson 57), Scannell (Watkins 65), Southam, McAllister, Reason, Binns.

Unused substitutes:  Flitney, Peacock, Gray.

Referee: Nigel Lugg

Attendance:  1,522

Welling star player: Anthony Acheampong.

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.