WELLING United comprehensively saw off Whitstable Town at Park View Road to win the Kent Senior Cup on Thursday and all but draw the curtain on a season of real progression for the Wings.

Andy Ford took over as boss early in 2008 and found himself involved in a relegation battle, but the former Gravesend manager has managed to keep the Wings in the top half of the table throughout the season.

Ford is no stranger to winning the Kent Senior Cup, but the optimistic manager feels a little bit short changed at the way events have unfolded in the past few months.

He said: “It's a piece of silverware. I would've preferred to be in the play-offs to be honest, but it's a trophy and a bit of revenue for the club.

“It was a no win situation really for us because we were expected to win, but I wanted us to win properly and we did today.

“Overall, it was a good professional job and I thought we played some good football as well.”

The Wings had to win their way through four rounds of the competition to lift the trophy but Ford admits he would have preferred an extended cup run in a bigger competition.

“The money in the FA Cup is completely different to this, so it doesn't really make up for a poor FA Cup run,” he added.

Welling are set to finish in the top half of the Blue Square South but despite the fact they can't make the play-offs, Ford doesn't want to take his foot off the pedal.

He said: “I'm looking for nine points. Ben Greenhaugh came on and he's only just turned 17, but we haven't got a lot of players to experiment with so I'm just looking for three wins.”

Last night’s match started brightly, with both sides contributing to a great spectacle early on.

But it was Welling who struck first when Loui Fazackerley was bought down inside the area in the eighth minute and Charlie Sheringham smashed home the penalty.

The underdogs hit straight back with a perfect free-kick from striker Ian Pulman on 17 minutes.

Pulman looped his effort over the wall and into the top corner, leaving young Crystal Palace goalkeeper David Wilkinson with no chance.

Whitstable were level for all of three minutes before the promising Jack Parkinson cut in from the touchline and drilled Welling back ahead, although questions must be asked of the visiting goalkeeper for being beaten at his near post.

Welling had a two goal cushion bang on the half hour mark with a stunning strike by veteran Lee Protheroe.

The right back went for goal from the best part of 30 yards and goalkeeper Kevin Fewell didn't move a muscle.

It was a first half which, in truth, could have seen Whitstable ahead if they had converted three gilt-edged opportunities.

The Welling back line struggled throughout the first half to track the midfield runners and execute the offside trap, which Whitstable evaded many times with worrying ease.

It was a shame for Whitstable their strikers Pulman and Dave Cory, who was responsible for two of the misses, weren’t able keep any kind of composure in front of goal but instead allowed Wilkinson to make the save.

Welling simply turned an entertaining cup-tie into a riot after the break with Sam Hurrell nailing down the Whitstable coffin even further just three minutes into the second half.

The former Chelsea player was on hand to turn in the low cross from Parkinson eight yards from goal.

Welling’s fifth was the best of the lot and showed glimpses of the kind of football the Park View Road faithful have seen this season.

Sheringham weighted the final pass perfectly for Ryan Johnson to slide home past the onrushing Fewell with 25 minutes still left on the clock.

Parkinson rounded off the scoring and an impressive showing with his second and Welling's sixth.

The left back needed two bites of the cherry but made no mistake with his second effort after his first had hit the post.

Welling: Wilkinson, Protheroe, Parkinson, Quinn (Cobbs 82), Andrews, Sinclair, Ming, Johnson, Fazackerley (Stevens 72), Sheringham, Hurrell (Greenhaugh 66). Subs not used: McEntegart, Loaryea. Att: 617.