Taking a break from Vanarama National South football, Welling United started their F.A. Cup campaign at Ryman One South club Whyteleafe.

In the build up to the game, Wings manager Mark Goldberg had suggested that the game might have been a case of toughing out the first hour with the expectation of their quality coming through.

As it turned out, the reason,it took so long to win the game was because they struggled to finish their chances.

Adam Coombes came close early on when his shot was deflected by Vernon Francis but Luke Colquhoun saved with his legs.

Rickie Hayles then almost scored when his downward header bounced up and over from Lyle Della-Verde’s corner.

Della-Verde then came close himself when his shot came back off the inside of the post after good work by Coombes.

Further chances came and went as Pierre Joseph-Dubois rounded Colquhoun but shot across goal, off balance, and Colquhoun saved twice from Coombes.

Colquhoun saved well from Della-Verde, Joseph-Dubois shot wide and Coombes had a diving header saved, all before half time.

Coombes had a goal disallowed for offside after the break but was not to be denied again and he opened the scoring when converting Della-Verde’s near post corner on 70 minutes.

Francis and Scott Johnston missed chances for Whyteleafe but Welling came back and Della-Verde shot wide before substitute Dan Walker had a shot saved.

Any hope Whyteleafe had of getting something out of the game were lessened when Owen Roberts was sent off for a horrific challenge on Archie Johnson.

They were finished totally when Hayles headed home unmarked from another Della-Verde corner.

Goldberg was delighted afterwards and said “If we didn’t get an early goal, I knew it was going to be difficult. We pressed and we created at least six excellent goal scoring opportunities in the first half and it just didn’t go in.

“When that happens you know you’re in for a hell of a game, and as the game goes on you think if they score it’s going to be harder and harder to get back in so it was critical that we pinched a goal when we did.

“We didn’t do it in open play. We created all the chances in open play and we did it finally in a way that we haven’t scored so far which is from two corners, I’m pleased with that. It’s about time that we did.”

Whyteleafe: Colquhoun, Daly, O’Leary, Francis, Roberts, Coleman, Fowler (Johnston 68), Graham, DSane, Mensah (Parker 72), Clayton. Unused substitutes: Bird, Price.

Welling United: Lewington, Nelson, Johnson, Fuseini, Hayles, Leacock, Joseph-Dubois (Hatton 90), Waldren, Coombes (Slabber 82), Morgan (Walker 68), Della-Verde. Unused Substitutes: Agu, Thompson-Martelly.

Referee: Chris Pollard

Assistants: Shaun Farrer and Daniel Hayes

Attendance: 231

Man of the match: Lyle Della-Verde

Images courtesy of Dave Budden