Four second half goals against Canvey Island helped Welling United move up to nineteenth place in the Isthmian League Premier Division.

Former Wings manager Peter Taylor, now in charge at Canvey, watched Welling seven days earlier in their home match with Canvey Island, and it looked like it might have paid off in the first forty-five minutes as the visitors kept them at arms length. However, once the hosts went ahead, they never looked back.

Greg Cundle had a shot deflected wide for the Wings early on before Max Fiddes had a shot that was half blocked and looped up into the arms of Freddie Norman. Joe Halsey fired a low centre into the area just out of the range of Finlay Dorrell then, at the other end, Cory Adjetey-Brew tried his luck with a shot that struck a defender and flew into the arms of Lewis Greene.

Charlie Stimson headed over for the visitors before Adjetey-Brew’s tight turn on the left hand side allowed him to break down the wing. He crossed to Zac Hambury who knocked it down to Cundle and his low shot was saved.

John Ufuah sliced a shot wide for the Wings then Stimson fired well over from twenty-five yards for the Gulls. Hambury did well to find Ufuah and he crossed to Cundle whose header was tipped over brilliantly by Greene.

Darius-Gabriel Ghinea got a clean connection on a shot for the visitors but he failed to hit the target then a good Welling move created an opportunity for Hambury and Greene did well to push it around the post in the last move before the first half drew to a close.

Immediately after the restart Ufuah had a header saved from Christian Scott’s cross before Welling broke the deadlock. Adjetey-Brew picked out Hambury and he took a couple of touches before blasting it past Greene.

Although Stimson curled over for the Gulls, Welling looked dangerous whenever they went forward. Ufuah cut in and shot, and Greene did well to turn it around the near post then the Welling wide man went even closer when Cundle pulled it back to him and his low shot came back out off the base of the post.

Elliott Ronto failed to make the most of a free header from a near post corner when sending it well over and Welling went further ahead shortly after. Greene made a mess of a clearance and it fell to Ufuah forty yards out. Although he didn’t get a clean strike on his effort, it fell into the path of Cundle who rolled it home from twenty yards.

Hambury then played in substitute to Tom Leahy who was thwarted by a brilliant last ditch challenge by Ronto at the cost of a corner but it was to little avail. Jack Paxman delivered deep and Logan Dobbs powered home his close range header.

Leyton Orient loanee Hambury was also involved in the fourth goal. He cut across the eighteen yard box and was tripped by Ghinea. Paxman stepped up and slotted home from the spot.

Lee Martin brought on Welling’s three remaining substitutes for the last fifteen minutes to rest players ahead of their next game three days later, and their intensity dropped a little despite Adjetey-Brew firing over.

Lewis Jaggs headed over from a corner then Igor Amidu-Sani’s low shot whistled past the post. Lekan Majoyegbe headed just wide from a James Dyer free kick before the visitors scored with almost the last kick of the match. Norman was unable to hold on to Louie Remis free kick and Fiddes followed up to bundle it home.

As frustrated as they may have been not to record a clean sheet, Welling’s win was a huge boost ahead of their home game against Ramsgate on Tuesday night.  

Welling United: Norman; Scott (O’Neill 73), Dobbs (Simmons 75), Majoyegbe, Adjetey-Brew; Paxman: Ufuah (Dyer 75), Ebuzoeme (J. Leahy 75), Cundle; Hambury, Shakpoke (T. Leahy 63). Subs not used: None.

Goalscorers: Hambury (49), Cundle (66), Dobbs (69), Paxman (pen 74)

Yellow card: Adjetey-Brew (25 foul), Ebuzoeme (45+4 foul), Majoyegbe (90+3)

Canvey Island: Greene; Halsey, Ronto, Johnson, Skarna (Locke 76); Jaggs; McEwan-Fiddes, Yeboah (Remi 61), Ghinea (Amidu-Sani 76); Stimson, Dorrell (Moss 67). Sub not used: Daniels.

Goalscorers: McEwan-Giddes (90 +4)

Yellow card: Ronto (6 foul), Stimson (45+4 retaliation), Locke (87 foul), Johnson (90+1)

Referee: Christopher Poole

Assistants: Daniel Merrall and Matthew Rendell

Attendance: 520

Images courtesy of Chris Zimmerman