Aaron O'Connor's deflected goal in first half stoppage time ensured Forest Green Rovers claimed the three points against Welling United.

Injuries to Loui Fazakerley and Sam Corne meant Welling had to make changes so Harry Osborne and Zac Fagan came in.

Despite being threadbare, Welling were more lively at the start. Saar Kabba and Tashan Adeyinka showed their growing understanding when the former pulled back for the latter, but he fired well over.

Vidal Xavier then did likewise from a free kick following a foul on Adeyinka just outside the penalty area.

In their next attack, Ricky Wellard made space before pulling back to Fagan and his side footer from the edge of the area was claimed by a diving Jonny Maxted.

O'Connor had an ambitious effort that flew wide for the Greens before Kabba miscued after Adeyinka played him in.

Failure to clear a corner might have hurt Welling but Aarran Raccine fired wide on the turn.

Wings' skipper Wellard had a free kick from wide saved at the near post before Jon Parkin put one into the side netting at the other end.

Former Wing, Kurtis Guthrie headed over as the home support started to vent their frustration.

Another free kick, this time from Green's Marcus Kelly, flew over then Raccine headed another deep one wide as the hosts started to assert some control.

Yellow cards were shown to Fagan and Guthrie before failure to finish chances proved crucial.

Vidal broke and played in Kabba who switched to Ben Jefford on the wing. The overlapping full back's deep cross was knocked back to Kabba but he pulled his effort wide.

This proved costly when Welling failed to deal with a deep ball and O'Connor's follow up was deflected past Tom King on the stroke of half time.

Osborne was unable to continue and was replaced by Welling new signing Nortei Nortey.

Both teams had great chances to equalise early in the second period. First King struggled with a Guthrie shot but Rob Sinclair's effort was cleared off the line by Michael Chambers. Then Wellard's shot was well saved but Vidal sliced his follow up well wide.

Wellard had another effort saved before the hosts O'Connor missed a great opportunity when Elliott Frear's deep ball found him in space but he failed to hit the target with a first time effort.

Guthrie then fired wide before being sent away only to be thwarted by a fine save by the onrushing King. Forest Green came again and Frear's cross into the box looped over King but Jefford headed off the line.

Substitute George Porter broke for Welling and found Wellard but his pass to Vidal was met with another shot off target.

On the break, Marcus Kelly broke clear but shot beyond the far post. Then Chambers and Kevin Lokko then combined to block an O'Connor to keep Welling in the game in the last ten minutes.

Afolabi Obafemi had a header saved comfortably before Vidal's shot swerved just wide following good work by Porter and Wellard.

Frear shot across the face of goal before Porter almost grabbed an unlikely point with a shot that required a good save by Maxted.

Welling United: King, Osborne (Nortey 46), Jefford, Vidal, Chambers, Lokko, Fagan, Wellard, Kabba (Porter 64), Adeyinka (Obafemi 77), Harris. Unused substitutes: McEntegart, Awotwi.