Disappointing Welling United took a hammering in their Vanarama National League South match at Boreham Wood.

Having suffered an early F.A. Cup dismissal seven days previously, Welling manager Rod Stringer made several changes which included returns from injury for Oscar Borg and Martell Taylor-Crossdale, full debuts for Kwaku Donkor and Jacob Mensah, and a first start of the season for Jack Munns. New signing, Maxwell Statham, was given a place on the bench.

They might have gone behind with less than a minute on the board when former Wing Tyrone Marsh shot wide from close range. Tom Whelan then hit a shot that clattered the post before Cameron Coxe was sent clear but Welling goalkeeper Rhys Lovett made an excellent block to keep out his attempt to slip it past him.

However, the hosts didn’t have long to wait before they scored from a set-play training ground routine finished by Jack Payne. Whelan then fired over and Payne wide before Lovett again stood up well to save from Marsh.

In the twenty-fifth minute, Boreham Wood went two up when Erico Sousa converted a penalty after Reece Grant had tripped Coxe.

Lovett saved from Whelan before Statham was introduced for his second Welling debut just after the half hour mark. He had only been on the field of play for four minutes when the Wings conceded again as Junior Dixon’s shot flew in off the post.

Lovett made a brilliant save to keep out a close range downward header by Charlie O’Connell then Chris Bush headed wide from an Erica Sousa before the first half was brought to a close.

Rod Stringer, Welling’s manager, made the unusual move of bringing on all four of his remaining substitutes for the start of the second period and the Wings created a couple of good chances of their own. Elliot Long shot just over after exchanging passes with Jack Munns from a short corner. Then they moved it around nicely to find Long and he threaded it through to Anointed Chukwu. The former Wingate and Finchley striker shot first time but it flew well wide.

Any chance that Welling had of getting back into the game dissipated when the already cautioned Charlie Pegrum was adjudged to have dived thirty yards out, and was shown a second yellow card, followed by a red, and the last ten minutes were an even more difficult watch for the hundred plus Welling supporters.

Abdul Abdulmalik shot wide before Gus Mafuta measured a shot into the top corner. Abdulmalik again came close but was thwarted by another outstanding Lovett save only to concede from the corner. Welling’s captain Dave Winfield headed it against his own goal-frame and Kwesi Appiah followed up to finish.

One minute later Johnny Goddard squared for Abdulmalik who fired into the empty net.

There was still time for Goddard to have a free kick deflected wide before the referee ended Welling’s suffering by blowing the final whistle on the stroke of ninety minutes.

Due to their early F.A. Cup exit, Stringer and his assistant, Kevin Watson, now have two weeks to restore morale and try and get some of their injured payers back.

Welling United: Lovett, Donkor, Borg (Statham 31), Burchell, Winfield, Mensah (Long 46), A. Grant (Andrews 46), Kennedy, Taylor-Crossdale (Pegrum 46), R. Grant (Chukwu 46), Munns. Subs not used: None.