Hopes of escaping relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division for Welling United were given a massive boost when they defeated Dulwich Hamlet.

Victory took the Wings to seventeenth place in the league table, the highest position that they have been since their demotion from the National League South, and they still have a game in hand against relegated Potters Bar Town on Tuesday evening.

Anthony Jeffrey had the first chance for the visitors when he was allowed plenty of space outside the penalty area. He failed to make the most of it, though, and he shot harmlessly wide. At the other end, Sam Smith made space for himself and, like Jeffery, he didn’t get a clean strike on it and snatched his shot beyond the far post.

Jeffery then found Luke Wanadio as two former Wings combined but the latter shot wide of the far post before Welling had another chance when a brilliant cross by Troy Howard was allowed to bounce to the far side of the penalty area where John Ufuah met it with a half volley back across goal and wide of the upright.

Another Dulwich chance came and went when Wanadio’s skills created a sight of goal for Lonit Talla but his side-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area flew over. Then, just before half time, Welling again went close when Howard’s clever turn fooled the Dulwich defence. He slid it through to Ade Azeez, and his attempt to slot it in was well blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Toby Bull.

Having had little to do in the first period, Welling goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley made a comfortable save from Jeffrey early after the restart then Azeez nodded wide after fighting hard to get on the end of Smith’s hook forward. Gaspar Mica intercepted a Welling defensive pass out and fired straight into the midriff of Foley before Welling broke the stalemate.

Three minutes prior to the hour mark, Smith delivered a corner and Dean Gunner lost his marker to head past the despairing dive of Bull.

After defending a corner comfortably, Welling added a second. Zak O’Keefe’s long throw was headed out to the far side, Lekan Majoyegbe rescued it, and his delicate chip back into the middle picked out Troy Howard. Although Howard’s initial header came back off the crossbar, it came back out to him and he nodded it back into the empty net.

That signalled a succession of substitutions by both sides and there wasn’t another goal opportunity until less than fifteen minutes remained when Majoyegbe took advantage of hesitancy at the back and his header was cleared off the line by Michael Chambers.

In the closing ten minutes, Dulwich tried to up the tempo and David Smith worked himself into a shooting position but his tame shot was fielded by Foley. Nyren Clunis shot over after Welling had blocked twice, and the Dulwich substitute had one last effort which only endangering the passing cars as his shot went high out of the ground.

Ryan Maxwell can now prepare his team for their midweek home game with Potters Bar in the knowledge that a win would all but guarantee their safety.

Welling United: Foley; O’Keefe, Majoyegbe, Gunner, Arthur; Smith (Paternoster 84); Howard (Reeve 70), Reynolds (El-Mogharbel 89), Gard (Thomas 74), Ufuah; Azeez (Stewart 90+3). Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Gunner (57), Howard (74)

Yellow cards: None

Dulwich Hamlet: Bull; Bonnett-Johnson, Adewunmi (Okonkwo 83), M. Chambers, T. Chambers; Mico (Kassarate 68), Talla (Clunis 68), Wanadio (Baugh 68); Jeffrey (Smith 74), Mills. Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: None

Yellow cards: Wynter (33 foul)

Referee: Teddy Osborn

Assistants: Thomas Sansom and Stephen Hughes

Attendance: 801

Images courtesy of Chris Zimmerman