Victory at Canvey Island gave Welling United their first Isthmian League Premier Division double having beaten the Seagulls at home earlier in the season.

It also cut the gap between the Wings and safety to five points, and was their fourth victory in six matches.

After a cagey start Matas Skarna hit a thirty yard effort wide for the hosts before Welling’s Ade Azeez worked himself a shooting opportunity but his shot lacked power and was deflected to slow it further and present Jacob Marsden with a simple save.

Conor Hubble played a give and get corner for Canvey and delivered into the middle and picked out Mike Finneran. Although he got a clean contact on his header, he was well off target. Calum Newson then blasted over after his initial effort was blocked back out to him.

Elliott Ronto had a shot saved by Welling goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley before Skarna got on the end of a Welling headed clearance and his first time shot bounced wide.

Despite having had a decent share of possession, and having won more corners than the hosts, Welling had created little in the first period before they went ahead in the fifth minute of stoppage time. A clearance dropped to Troy Howard twenty yards out and he struck his first time shot into the bottom corner.

Early in the second period, Jack Thomas clipped it into the penalty area and Azeez beat Marsden in the air but his header flew beyond the far upright. Welling continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges and it came as shock when the Seagulls levelled one minute shy of the hour mark. Although the angle was against Ben Steward, the Canvey full back marked his debut with a brilliant chip inside the far post.

Momentum changed and the Wings had to dig in. A long pass over the top sent Newson away but Foley nicked it off his toes before hacking it away. The Welling goalkeeper then made a double save when blocking Newson’s effort before smothering the follow-up from substitute Duane Ofori-Acheampong.

However, with twelve minutes remaining, the Wings went back ahead. Reynolds’ shot from twenty-five yards took two deflections leaving Marsden grounded on one side of the goal as it went in on the other.

From that point onwards, Welling controlled the game and scored again with five minutes left. Substitute John Ufuah cut in from the bye-line and drove it into the middle. Azeez flicked it goalwards although the final touch might have come off a defender., 

Deep into injury time, Azeez came close to adding his second when he lobbed Marsden but it came back out off the crossbar.

Skarna skied a late effort over, however, Welling’s walking wounded saw the game out comfortably for a vital three points.

Canvey Island: Marsden; Steward, Finneran (O’Neill 38), Dariri, Reeve; Yeboah; Hubble (Mohamud 80), Skarna, Ronto: Newson (Kashket 86), Dorrell (Ofori-Acheampong 60).

Sub not used: Stimson.

Goalscorer: Steward (59)

Yellow cards: None

Welling United: Foley; Savane, Majoyegbe, Gunner, Oguntayo (Arthur 71); Thomas; Howard (Bangura 80), Black (El-Mogharbel 74), Reynolds (Addy 89); Sach (Ufuah 62), Azeez.

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Howard (45+5), Reynolds (78), Azeez (85)

Yellow cards: None

Referee: Henry Harvey

Assistants: Adekola Adeyemi and Adedotun Adeyemi

Attendance: 372

Pictures supplied by Olly Groome.