Defensive mistakes proved costly as Welling United crashed to defeat at home to Aveley.
Kain Adom had the first opportunity of the match for the hosts when using his strength to get through but he poked wide as Aveley’s goalkeeper, Jonathan North, came out to close him down.
However, it was the visitors who opened the scoring. A cross by Alex Hernandez should have been cut out by a defender but was scuffed into the path of Nana Kyei and he finished comfortably.
Four minutes later, Aveley scored again. Kyei dispossessed Taylor Curran and pulled it back for Hernandez to fire home.
Eduino Vaz fired wide from distance before Welling enjoyed a decent spell. Chiori Johnson, making his second Welling debut, shot off target before they won a series of corners.
However, the nearest they came to pulling one back was when an Adom shot was kept out by a combination of North and a defender on the line.
Content to try and hit Welling on the break, Aveley came close to scoring a third when Charlee Hughes set up Kyei whose shot was well pushed away by Reice Charles-Cook. The Millers recycled the attack and Kyei had another shooting chance but was off target.
In injury time, the visitors added a third goal when Owen Cochrane pulled it back to Hughes who made no mistake with a clean strike.
Crossley Lema drew a good save out of North before Anthony Grant missed a chance for Welling when heading over at close range having met Cameron Green’s excellent cross to end Welling’s disappointing first half.
Danny Bloor made a double change for Welling at the break, bringing on Enoch Muwonge and David Kamara. Both looked to make an immediate impact. Muwonge cut in and hit a shot that needed an excellent save by North to keep it out then Kamara had a shot deflected wide.
Just after the hour mark, Welling were given a lifeline when Hernandez brought Adom down in the penalty area. After a delay, Adom took the responsibility and sent North the wrong way to reduce the arrears.
Siju Odelusi had a shot from long distance saved comfortably by Charles-Cook before Adom got in behind the Aveley defence but North was out quickly to smother. Another Green cross was almost rewarded with a goal when Antony Papadopoulos couldn’t quite reach it having arrived late at the far post.
Had that been turned in, it might have been a difficult last fifteen minutes for Aveley, but other than a shot by Josh Chambers that North saved comfortably, and a shot by Papadopoulos was beaten out by the Millers’ goalkeeper, they had little to worry about.
Next Saturday, Welling entertain National League leaders Chesterfield in the F.A. Trophy looking for a boost after three consecutive home losses.
Welling United: Charles-Cook, Lema, Green, Johnson, Curran (Muwonge 46), Bramble, Papadopoulos, Odusanya, Carr (Kamara 46), Adom, Grant (Chambers).
Subs not used: Bridgeman, Byrd.
Goalscorers: Adom pen (63)
Yellow card: Bramble, Papadopoulos, Muwonge
Red Card: Austin (Coach)
Aveley: North, Cochrane, Vaz, Odelusi, Jones, Gibbs, Krasniqi (Eze 90+1), Kelly, Hughes (Gbode 86), Hernandez (Ogunrinde 67), Kyei.
Subs not used: Ring, Yates.
Goalscorers: Kyei (11), Hernandez (15), Hughes (45+2)
Yellow cards: Vaz, Hernandez, Kelly, Jones
Referee: Nicholas Dunn
Assistants: Nick Blogg and Steven Rea
Attendance: 736
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.