Three points and a clean sheet gave Welling United the perfect start to 2026 as they beat Wingate and Finchley in their Isthmian League Premier Division encounter.

Ryan Maxwell gave full debuts to four new players with another coming on from the bench in the second half. Only two of the starting eleven were with the club before Maxwell came in and he had worked with one of them, captain Jack Thomas, previously.

On a very cold afternoon, there was little to warm the spectators in the first half as goal chances were few and far between. Ade Azeez, on his second debut for the Wings, headed wide of the near post from a Troy Howard corner before Eddie Allsopp sent a curler around the far post at the other end.

Sonny Black blasted a free kick well over from thirty-five yards then Charlie Stallard scuffed a shot wide for the visitors. There were no further goal attempts as the first period drew to a close.

It looked like the second half was going to be more of the same as Maxwell was forced to make two changes through injury. However, everything changed just after the hour mark. Another Howard corner was headed out to the far wing where it was recovered by Jamie Reynolds. He crossed and Lekan Majoyegbe met it with an instinctive volley that looped inside the far post.

In response, Wingate and Finchley upped their intensity and Caoilan McGettigan squared for Allsopp who was thwarted by a brilliant low save by new Welling goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley. Romeo Akinola shot high and wide before the Wings got things back under control and had an opportunity for a second when Bradley Sach got in behind the visitors’ defence. His shot, although cleanly struck, was too straight and former Leyton Orient goalkeeper, Charlie Grainger, was able to keep it out.

Grainger then saved a low John Ufuah free kick before Majoyegbe did brilliantly with a hooked clearance as Wingate threatened.

As the match moved into stoppage time, Ufuah broke and shot just beyond the far post before Sam Beedie had a chance to save a point having just come on as a substitute. A scramble in the penalty area fell to him on the edge of the area but he fired well over.

Victory for Welling reduced the gap to safety to seven points and three wins in their last five matches gives them hope of moving out of the bottom four.

Welling United: Foley; Savane (El-Mogharbel 55), Majoyegbe, Gunner, Oguntayo; Thomas; Howard, Black (Bangura 75), Reynolds; Sach (Addy 83), Azeez (Ufuah 49). Sub not used: Arthur.

Goalscorer: Majoyegbe (62)

Yellow card: Majoyegbe (82 foul)

Wingate and Finchley: Grainger; Cracknell, Frempah, Townsend-West (Keller 68); Cornish (Lowe 70), Akinola; Jambang (Beedie 85), Akinola, Stallard; McGettigan, Hernandez. Sub not used: Garrett-Douglas.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Stallard (24 foul), Akinola (88 foul)

Referee: Patrick Nixon

Assistants: Joshua Whittall and Samuel Gregory

Attendance: 390

Images courtesy of Peter Jozwiak