Welling extend lead at the top (From News Shopper)

Truro City 0-3 Welling United

7:10pm Saturday 23rd March 2013 in Sport By Mark Doig

POSTPONEMENTS to games for their main championship rivals allowed Welling United to move nine points clear with victory at basement club Truro City.

Theo Fairweather-Johnson's opening goal was followed by a brace from Ross Lafayette allowing the Wings an ultimately comfortable win.

Fairweather-Johnson started ahead of Kiernan Hughes-Mason as the only change to the team beaten at Bath on Tuesday night and he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

Jamie Day came close early on with a free kick that hit the side netting before veteran Barry Hayles gave Wings' goalkeeper Jamie Turner an early chance to get into the game with a shot he saved easily.

Lafayette shot wide with a first time effort but Truro went back up to the other end and Fraser Franks headed out a Les Afful goal-bound attempt.

On eighteen minutes, Welling went ahead when Jake Gallagher's delightful through ball found Fairweather-Johnson in a slightly better position than Lafayette and the Wings' wide man finished superbly.

Once again Lafayette went close before Truro went even closer.

Andy Watkins, who had impressed earlier in the season at Park View Road, worked his way free but saw his low effort come back off the inside of the far post. A hurried clearance presented Truro with a corner that Paul Kendall headed over.

Watkins called Turner into action again with a long range shot that was saved comfortably then Martin Watts went wide with a very ambitious free kick from distance.

Kendall headed over from another corner before Ben Gerring just got enough of a touch from a well delivered Fairweather-Johnson cross as Jake Reid looked poised to head home.

Day was shown a yellow card for a foul on Afful before Welling doubled their lead on 41 minutes.

Lee Clarke made room cleverly before putting in a cross-shot that goalkeeper Luke Payne could only palm out as far as Lafayette. Welling's leading scorer made no mistake with a fierce shot despite the attempt to block by a defender on the line.

Only an alert assistant referee stopped Welling from going in three up at the break as Franks found Fairweather-Johnson who rifled home inside the far post only to be pulled back for offside.

Although Welling started the second period brightly, Watkins showed he would still be dangerous as he broke away but over-ran the ball.

A fierce Day effort flew just over before Truro were forced to withdraw Watts through injury with Matt Wright replacing him, resulting in a complete reshuffle of the defence.

Twenty one minutes of the second half had elapsed when Welling added a third. A half clearance saw Anthony Acheampong played through and as he shaped to shoot, Cody Cooke kicked his legs from under him. Strangely, the miscreant was not even cautioned when some referees might have taken more severe action. As regular penalty taker Joe Healy was still absent with an injury, Lafayette stepped up and struck the spot kick with sufficient power to beat Payne who guessed the right way and got a strong hand on it.

Jake Ash and Jake Gallagher were cautioned for a flare up in which the Truro captain appeared to raise his hands before Cooke headed wide from a Watkins cross when he should have done better.

The game was now all but won so the Welling management took the opportunity to rotate the squad bringing on Hughes-Mason for Fairweather-Johnson, Scott Kinch for Gallagher, and Kurtis Guthrie for Lafayette.

Hayles and Jordan Copp both found their way into the referee's notebook as Truro failed to control their frustration.

Hughes-Mason played Jack Obersteller in but his low effort came back off the legs of Payne.

Truro tried to create further openings but Ben Martin and Acheampong cleared any further danger and it was Kinch who came closest to adding to the score-sheet with a rasping drive that went just beyond the far post.

Hughes-Mason also came close deep into injury time but was also off target with a good effort.

Welling United: Turner, Franks, Obersteller, Day, Martin, Acheampong, Gallagher (Kinch 73), Clarke, Reid, Lafayette (Guthrie 77), Fairweather-Johnson (Hughes-Mason 71). Unused substitutes: Fakinos, Main.