City brushed away the disappointment of Saturday’s home defeat to Weston-super-Mare by producing a fine combative display to take maximum points away from Welling’s Park View Road ground.

Just as they had only a week earlier against Bishop’s Stortford, City flew out of the blocks after the interval and raced into a two goal lead that secured a grip on the match that the visitors never looked in any danger of relinquishing as Welling huffed and puffed. In fact the win could have been even more comprehensive had Dave Sadler not had an off night, twice failing to net when clean through in the second half.

City went into this game making two changes, one intentional, the other forced upon manager Gary Roberts. Out went young striker Michael Gash, his place taken by former Leicester striker John Stevenson, while a shoulder injury picked up against Weston meant that goalkeeper Duncan Roberts gave way to Academy graduate Alan Calton.

In a largely uneventful first half it was Welling who threatened first, Andy Arnott seeing his unchallenged header from a right hand corner arrow goalwards only to hit a team-mate and go behind.

City’s first meaningful sorte into enemy territory came on the twenty minute mark. Stevenson showed great tenacity to battle through two solid tackles before laying the ball out wide to Sadler. His early cross was met by Stevenson who had continued his run, however, he failed to make proper contact and his header sailed wide of the target.

Soon afterwards, Stevenson was again to the fore as his deft first time control allowed him to set up Carl Williams for a strike at goal but the midfielders drive from just outside the area, although well hit, lacked direction and caused former Cambridge Utd custodian Martin Brennan no problem in the Welling goal.

As the half moved on City quietly began to exert a certain amount of control over proceedings. Richard Scott and Sam Swonnell confidently going about their business in midfield, picking up the loose balls and generally running the City show.

Scott almost broke the deadlock after 22 minutes when he smashed a shot goalwards after Matt Langston had knocked down Rob Miller’s left wing corner. Fortunately for Brennan who would have been struggling, Lew Watts managed to deflect the ball wide with an outstretched leg.

City keeper Calton had been a virtual spectator for most of the half but he had to earn his corn as the clock ticked down towards the interval. The youngster had already dealt with a low skidding shot from Lee Spiller before he produced the highlight of the half. Play had been interrupted while Wings centre forward Stephen Hughes was made to leave the pitch for attention to a cut. City switched off and when play restarted a sudden injection of pace from Danny Slatter saw the midfielder find space to fire in a wickedly dipping 30 yard piledriver that looked to have Calton beaten but he produced a superb save, arching himself back towards his goal-line to turn the ball over.
Welling, lifted by their near miss, came again, Slatter was again involved as his clever back-heel put Spiller in behind the City defence. Despite a desperate attempt by Langston to close him down, the former Dover man whipped in his cross, fortunately for City it was a fraction too high for the inrushing line of red shirts and ran away to safety on the far side. The play quickly switched to the other end with Lee Chaffey producing a surging run from just inside his own half that took him past three startled home players before his progress was halted by a solid tackle as he entered the penalty area.

The Wings began the second half with renewed vigour but it was City who got the flying start. With only four minutes on the clock a long Calton clearance was allowed to bounce by the home defence, Sadler challenged, the ball ran loose and Williams was unceremoniously bundled to the ground by Ian Wiles. The referee pointed straight to the spot and Scott had no trouble putting City into the lead with a low shot to the keeper’s right.

A minute later and Sadler wasted a chance to double City’s lead. The former Hinckley hitman capitalized on some more hesitant defending to race through on goal only to see Brennan just get enough on the ball to turn it behind for a corner.

City weren’t bemoaning their luck for long as only sixty seconds more elapsed before number two went in. Rob Miller’s long deep cross looked odds on to find the head of Sadler who had cleverly got between Arnott and Tony Browne. The slightest of touches from Arnott prevented Sadler from making contact but the ball continued on, struck Browne on the shin and flew past Brennan’s despairing dive and into the back of the net.

Welling pushed forward in the hope of a quick response, but with a City defence in dominant form it never looked like they would make an impression. An Arnott header following a corner blocked at the far-post and an effort at full stretch from Hughes that went tamely over the bar was all that the Wings could muster in the twenty or so minutes following City’s double whammy.

Paul Booth had an effort ruled out for offside shortly before Sadler spurned a golden chance to put the result beyond any doubt. Intercepting a suicidal square pass from Watts, the City striker homed in on goal but elected to take his shot early putting his effort too close to Brennan who grabbed it with ease.

Welling manager Paul Parker played his final cards, making a double substitution bringing on former Margate hot-shot Phil Collins and Gareth Street, but neither made an impression as the game had long gone way from the home side. City eased their way though the final quarter of an hour to record a comfortable win and their third win in four outings this season. A real boost ahead of the bank holiday fixtures.