Five star Halls AFC all but ensured that they will remain in the Southern Counties East Football League Division One next season with a comprehensive victory at Welling Town.

However, defeat for the Boots still leaves them in penultimate position in the table, five points adrift of safety.

James Bayford had the first goal attempt for Halls with an effort that went wide of the near post then the hosts’ Herve Mbongue drew a good save out of Josh Atkinson. Long throws by Theo McKenzie troubled the Halls’ defence and Kelvin De Graft got on the end of one with a header that floated wide.

In the twenty-fifth minute, the visitors broke the deadlock. Ben Martin held it up well before laying it off to Bayford and he did the rest with a controlled finish.

Muraino Banjoko cut in from the left before launching a shot well over. Soon after, he doubled Halls’ lead when he made the most of some defensive indecision and slotted it calmly into the back of the net.

At two-nil down, Welling were still in the game but with two minutes remaining before half time, Halls added a third. Banjoko’s near post corner found the impressive Joseph Freeman and he knocked it in with a low side-foot volley.

They weren’t done there, though and they scored a fourth in first half stoppage time. Bayford pulled it back and Ryan Golding stabbed it home against his former club.

After a pretty one sided first forty-five minutes, the second period was more even. Substitute Euan O’Neil’s corner caused chaos in the Halls penalty area. Although it was forced into the net, the referee had already blown his whistle having seen an infringement. 

Play then became disjointed with substitutions from both sides before trickery by the visitors’ Frankie White created a shooting chance for fellow replacement Gbolahan Noiki but he fired over. He had another attempt shortly after when stretching to meet a Martin cross on the volley but he was unable to direct it on target.

Four minutes remained when Halls scored their fifth. Martin was picked out by Sam Doyle’s accurate cross and he controlled it well before firing home on the turn. 

He might have made it six shortly after when bursting through and letting fly but Aaron Lee-Wharton stood firm and made an excellent save.

That was the last chance of the match and Kevin Oakes will be looking for a quick reaction when they host Greenways on Saturday. It was a welcome win for George Michaelas’ Halls, ending their run of three successive defeats. The now have difficult away games at third placed Rochester United and free scoring AFC Greenwich in second.

Welling Town: Lee-Wharton; Hearn, Sauvary-Hines, Tandon, McKenzie (Laver 75); Beech (Green 54), Olusesi (Churchill 71); Roberts, Jeffrey (Bangura 62), De Graft (O’Neil 55); Mbongue.

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: None

Halls AFC: Atkinson; Holley (Ramsay 66), Horlick, Freeman, Adofo; Petrovics (Hamelberg 46), Dadds (White 66); Martin, Bayford, Banjoko (Noiki 74); Golding (Doyle 74).

Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Bayford (25), Banjoko (36), Freeman (43), Golding (45+1), Martin (86).

Yellow cards: None 

Referee: Rhys Jeffery

Assistants: Jack Heath and Ronald Albert

Attendance: Unknown