Third placed Alfreton Town were too strong for Welling United in their Skrill Premier league match.
At the end of a tough week, the direct and physical style of the visitors proved too much for the Wings.
Injury to Lee Clarke and the expiry of Baily Cargill’s loan period meant Jamie Day had to make two changes to the team that drew at Gateshead with Jake Gallagher and Loui Fazakerley replacing them.
Chris Westwood missed a glorious chance in the opening minutes and Shaun Harrad, on debut, had a shot saved.
Michael Wylde put down a marker when stopping Kurtis Guthrie crudely and he was booked accordingly.
On 16 minutes, the visitors went ahead when Harrad set up Josh Law who finished emphatically.
Job Ayo Akinde and Harrad continued to stretch the Welling defence before the former showed the less pleasing side to his game for a nasty challenge on Doug Bergqvist.
Two minutes from the break, Welling equalised. Kurtis Guthrie headed down to Ross Lafayette and raced to the near post to meet the return with a first time clip into the roof of the net.
Akinde again caught Bergqvist late and was very lucky to escape with a warning before Lafayette burst through to meet Blaine Hudson’s long ball but his lob over Jon Worsnop drifted wide.
Welling were punished immediately. Connor McLaren fouled Akinde in the penalty area and Harrad made no mistake from the spot.
Day reacted by bringing on Jack Obersteller for his first game for over two months and Harry Cornick for his first appearance on a one month loan from AFC Bournemouth and he almost made an immediate impact when making space for himself before having his shot saved by Worsnop.
Yet another bad tackle by Akinde on Bergqvist went unpunished but Reds manager Nicky Law was quick to replace him with Paul Clayton.
Harrad shot directly at Butcher before Gallagher was booked for a foul on Godfrey Poku who had committed several offences without censure.
Sheet rain turned into hail and was accompanied by lightning and thunder as the last fifteen minutes were played out in farcical conditions. Lafayette still came close with a side footed effort across the face of goal and Joe Healy had a late chance when a ball came quickly to him but he couldn’t find the target. That chance was Welling’s last as their proud home record took another blow.
Welling United: Butcher, Fazakerley, McLaren (Obersteller 58), Gallagher, Bergqvist, Hudson, Wakefield, Beautyman (Cornick 58), Guthrie (Cumbers 74), Lafayette, Healy.
Unused substitutes: Turner, Day.
Alfreton Town: Worsnop, Wood, Westwood, Wylde, Kempson, Law (Franklin 79), Bradley, Akinde (Clayton 64), Rowe-Turner, Poku, Harrad.
Unused substitutes: Shaw, Meadows, Fenton.
Referee: Wayne Barrett
Attendance: 677
Welling star man: Jake Gallagher
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.