Although forced to work hard, Welling United ground out victory at home to Whitehawk in their fight to avoid relegation from the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Substitute Noah Stewart was the hero of the afternoon when scoring after the ten men visitors had equalised early in the second half.

Some spectators were still taking up their vantage points when the drama started. John Ufuah got in front of Taufee Skandari and the visitors’ full back brought him down. After referee Scott Crowhurst cautioned Skandari, Lewis Gard drove the free kick towards the far post and Lekan Majoyegbe headed home for his second goal in two games.

Ade Azeez worked himself into a shooting position but his goal-bound shot was blocked before Skandari’s participation in the contest was concluded early. He fouled Ufuah from behind again and was shown a second yellow card, followed by a red.

Four minutes before half time, Welling had to make a change with Gard replaced by Jamie Reynolds, and almost immediately, the replacement had a shot deflected wide. Sam Smith’s delivery picked out Majoyegbe but he was stretching and unable to find the target. His central defensive partner, Dean Gunner, came close in first half stoppage time with a header that clipped the crossbar on the way over.

Early in the second period, Ufuah cut back from the bye-line before drilling it across goal and Grant Hall was relieved to see his scuffed clearance go just beyond the far post. Nothing came of that corner, however, when Whitehawk won one moments later, they made it count. Andrew Briggs delivered and it flew round the penalty area like a pinball before falling for Harry Lodovica who stabbed it home.

Smith tried his luck from thirty yards but didn’t get hold if it cleanly and he rolled it wide before the Wings management introduced Stewart for his debut. He had only been on the field of play for seven minutes when he scored. It came out to the right and Troy Howard’s clever overhead kick flew back across, finding Stewart unmarked, and he slotted it home.

Stefan Wright blasted a twenty-five yard half volley into the High Street for Whitehawk before Destiny Ojo hit a twenty yard shot on the turn straight into the arms of Welling goalkeeper Mackenzie Foley.

Reynolds was well off target for Welling and Stewart miss-hit a shot wide from twenty-five yards as the Wings finished the stronger. Smith aimed a free kick towards the bottom corner and, having got down sharply, Lennon MacLorg did well to hold on to it.

Deep into injury time Welling had one last chance when Smith sent Azeez through but MacLorg came out quickly to make an excellent save.

Despite victory, results elsewhere mean that Welling are still a point adrift of safety, however they have played a game fewer so have their destiny in their own hands.

Welling United: Foley; O’Keefe, Majoyegbe, Gunner, Arthur; Thomas (Stewart 62), Smith; Howard, Gard (Reynolds 41), Ufuah; Azeez. Subs not used: Oluwatimilehin, Vukoje, Paternoster.

Goalscorers: Majoyegbe (3), Stewart (69)
Yellow cards: Thomas (56 foul), Ufuah (81 delay of restart)

Whitehawk: MacLorg; Skandari, Cooper, Hall, Odogwu-Atkinson; Daly; Lambert, Kastrati (Wright 28), Briggs, Godziemski (Ojo 73); Lodovica. Subs not used: Kotey, Harris, Eze.

Goalscorers: Lodovica (51)
Yellow cards: Skandari (2 foul), Lambert (72 foul)
Red card: Skandari (25 2nd yellow, foul)

Referee: Scott Crowhurst
Assistants: Stephen Hawkes and David London

Attendance: 444

Images courtesy of Chris Zimmerman