Defeat at Weston-super-Mare continued Welling United’s poor run away from home comforts.

They have not won on the road in the National League South since August, and they rarely looked like changing things when visiting Somerset. Life has been particularly tough on them when travelling to the West Country having shipped in five goals away to Truro City, five at Torquay United, and now four at Weston.

Early on both teams looked to build from the back, in an attempt to pull the opposition players out of their positions. As a result, there were no real goalscoring opportunities until the referee ignored a clear foul on Josh Chambers allowing the hosts to break away. Jordan Bastin burst down the wing but fired across the face of goal and wide of the far post.

Dayle Grubb then hit a shot that Welling goalkeeper Reice Charles-Cook couldn’t hold cleanly and was relieved to see it come back off the upright and into his hands. Grubb and Bastin each had further shots that Charles-Cook claimed comfortably before Welling missed a great chance. Josh Chambers hit an excellent cross-field pass to Cameron Green and he whipped in a low cross that Tristan Abrahams side-footed over from ten yards out.

Soon after, Weston went ahead. Grubb delivered a corner and Reuben Reid met it with his head. Although it wasn’t the cleanest of connections, it had enough on it to find its way inside the far post.

Reid, Grubb and James Morton all failed to hit the target as the hosts finished the first half in the ascendancy.

After some choice words in the changing room at half time, Welling came out more determined and levelled nine minutes into the second period. Jephte Tanga burst into the area and was tripped by Bastin with a penalty awarded. Abrahams went for power rather than placement and, although Max Harris got a hand on it, he couldn’t keep it out.

Any hopes that Welling would kick on were dashed when the unfortunate Will Wood headed a cross by Robbie Willmott into his own net, and this time there was to be no come-back. Charles-Cook beat out a drive from James Dodd before Reid should have done better when well placed from Bastin’s pull back.

In a rare raid forward, Dominic Odusanya brought a diving save out of Harris and, from the resultant Chambers corner, Lachlan Byrd floated a header that came back off the bar.

Tanga then hit a low shot that was saved by Harris before Weston added their crucial third. Morton crossed to Reid who brought it down well before firing home. Then, with nine minutes remaining, Weston made it four. Willmott squared to Morton and he swept it home from close range.

Chambers pulled one back when having been found by Tanga, his shot went under Harris. However, it was a mere consolation goal as Welling were well beaten.

Danny Bloor, the Welling manager, already without three centre halves, will have to assess the fitness of his squad ahead of their trip to Aveley on Monday night. Crossley Lema pulled up in the pre-match warm up, while Wood and Abrahams added to his concerns when they limped off in the second period.

Welling United: Charles-Cook, Howard, Green, Grant, Wood (Kassarate 62), Byrd, Tanga, Odusanya, Abrahams (Kamara 88), Chambers, Adom. Sub not used: Bramble, Muwonge.