Welling United enjoyed winning three points against promotional hopefuls Hemel Hempstead Town to give themselves daylight between them and the bottom two.
Goals by Moses Emmanuel seven minutes before the break, and Nathan Green inside the final five minutes were enough for Welling to claim the win. However, the visitors were hampered by playing just under seventy minutes with ten men following Sam Ashford’s dismissal.
In the early exchanges, Hemel looked lively. Luke Howell was left unmarked but could not get over a Jake Howells corner. Craig Braham-Barrett became the second former Welling player to try his luck but curled his effort wide. Then Alex Wall hit a disputed free kick that took a slight deflection and Dan Wilks saved comfortably.
Jay Rich-Baghuelou had Welling’s first shot when he spun and let fly after Anthony Cook’s corner fell to him but his powerful drive was blocked.
Then came Ashford’s dismissal. As he stretched to try and win a loose ball he lost control and left Connor Dymond in a heap giving referee Michael Ryan no option other than to show him a red card.
Sammy Moore reorganised his team and there was a dearth of chances in the remainder of the first period. Rich-Baghuelou headed over from Cook’s corner and it was from another delivery by him that Welling went ahead. His corner was deep and Emmanuel showed his bravery by heading home from close range and getting a nosebleed for his troubles.
After the interval, Wall had a shot saved comfortably by Wilks before Sam Beasant made a fine stop from Bradley Goldberg after he had exchanged passes with Adam Coombes.
Ricardo German then had a great chance to level. Wall sent him through on goal but Chiori Johnson appeared from nowhere to force him to hurry his shot and he was unable to beat Wilks who stood tall.
Beasant made an excellent block to deny Goldberg before Howell drilled a long range drive wide for the Tudors.
Wilks then started a route one move with a massive kick out, Goldberg knocked it down and Cook drove his volley wide of the near post.
Substitute Green missed a great chance when dragging it wide of the far post after Joe Anderson sent him clear then at the other end Wall tricked some of the crowd into thinking he had scored when his shot rippled the outside goal netting.
Four minutes remained when Welling scored the crucial second goal. Once again captain Cook delivered a corner and it fell for Green to tuck in his first Welling goal.
German had another chance in injury time when receiving a pass from Rob Sinclair but Wilks’ clean sheet was not threatened as he shot across the face of goal.
Welling United: Wilks, Johnson, Anderson, Dymond, Okosieme, Rich-Baghuelou, Okosieme, Emmanuel (Anau 86), Agyemang, Coombes (Green 62), Goldberg (Cosgrave 70), Cook.
Subs not used: Copeland, McCallum.
Goalscorers: Emmanuel (38), Green (85)
Hemel Hempstead Town: Beasant, Kpohomouh, Braham-Barrett, Howell, Sterling, Dickenson, Nash (German 53), Howells (Whittingham 88), Wall, Midson (Sinclair 74), Ashford.
Subs not used: Popo, Boness.
Referee: Michael Ryan
Assistants: Nick Dunn and Scott Rudd
Attendance: 517
Pictures supplied by Dave Budden.