Tommy Wood’s early goal was sufficient to ensure that a hard working Tonbridge Angels claimed all three points against Welling United.

After the game, Tonbridge manager Steve McKimm accepted that the win was not pretty. He said “I don’t care how we win and how we get the points to stay in this league. I’m not worried about performances, I’m worried about points.

“My job relies on results. These players performances rely on whether they stay in the team through getting results and that’s how it is. Every player out there today was fantastic. A lot of people look at what you do on the ball but it’s what you do without the ball and what they did as a man was to restrict Welling to long range chances.” 

Wood had the first chance but shot wide before he opened the scoring just before the fifteen minute mark. Joe Turner strode through the middle of the Welling defence and shot, Coniah Boyce-Clarke got down and palmed it onto the post, and Wood was quickest to the rebound to tuck home.

Although Welling enjoyed the better of the possession and territorial advantage in the first half, they struggled to test Angels’ goalkeeper Jonathan Henly. He claimed a header from Ade Shokunbi and a free kick by Alfie Matthews, but neither saves were too troublesome.

Tom Beere skied over for the hosts then a long range shot by Turner was saved easily by Boyce-Clarke before the half time break.

After the interval, Turner again tried his luck from well out but, Boyce-Clarke made another comfortable save before both Welling debutants might have got on the scoresheet. First Zeki Fryers sent a shot over from wide, then Harvey Bradbury was unable to apply the finishing touch when Dipo Akinyemi drove across the face of goal.

At the other end, Adam Coombes had a shot deflected wide then Tom Parkinson met a deep corner, but his header was saved easily.

Turner drew a good save out of Boyce-Clarke before the Welling goalkeeper made a double save from Wood and Coombes.

In the closing stages, substitute Ben Allen crossed for Akinyemi, but he could only poke it wide then Fryers had one last effort but his shot fizzed wide with Jonathan Henly rooted to the spot.

Tonbridge Angels: Henly, O’Sullivan, Braham-Barrett, Beere, Miles, Parkinson, Taylor (Fielding 35, Hudson 73)), Perkins, Wood, Coombes, Turner.

Subs not used: Modeste, Olutade, Embery.

Goalscorers: Wood (14)

Yellow cards: O’Sullivan 

Welling United: Boyce-Clarke, Statham, Fryers, Sendles-White, Curran, Margetson (Allen 78), Sablier (Stevenson 57), Shokunbi, Bradbury, Matthews, Akinyemi.

Subs not used: Burnett, Pearce, Ezennolim.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Margetson, Curran, Matthews, Statham

Referee: Jason Richardson

Assistants: Thomas Harvey and Adrian George

Attendance: 1,027

Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.