Away game woes continued for Welling United as they again performed well on their travels but returned home empty handed.

Last season at Grimsby, Joe Healy scored the Conference goal of the season but Welling were handicapped for this season's visit as he was not fit enough to return. As a result, Welling started with an unchanged line up.

An early outswinging corner looked to find Scott Neilson but Chris Bush was alert to the danger and intercepted with a clearing header.

Paul Hurst, Grimsby's manager, was reported as saying that he wanted a fast start but there was little to choose between the two sides before an extraordinary refereeing decision deciding that a sliced clearance by Shaun Pearson caught by James McKeown was a back pass.

With little room to do to much, the close range indirect free kick was laid back to Jamie Day, whose hopeful shot was deflected wide for a corner, despite his claim that a hand was involved.

Neilson had a curling effort saved easily by Jamie Turner before Welling were forced into making an early change. Kieron St. Aimie picked up a knock and, after treatment, was unable to resume and was  replaced by Tyrone Marsh.

Jon-Paul Pittman did not bother Turner with a scuffed shot wide before Scott Brown's break created problems that needed the intervention of a superb clearance by Ben Jefford.

Neilson then curled a half cleared corner wide but Day came close at the other end when Marsh's cross was laid back by Harry Beautyman to the Wings player manager . His measured shot drifted just wide with McKeown an onlooker.

All the good Welling defensive work was undone in the 37th minute when an excellent cross by Jack Mackreth found Pittman ahead of the defence to slide home into the bottom corner.

Neither teams made personnel changes at the break as Welling looked to try and get themselves back into the game with some good passing football.

Jon Nouble's superb cross was won well by Harry Beautyman but nobody was following up to finish his header back across goal.

Day put through a great ball that Marsh flashed wide of the near post, and the Oxford United loanee fired over soon afterwards after great work from Beautyman and Jake Gallagher.

Loui Fazakerley and Jefford got forward to supplement the attack regularly as the Wings looked to level.

Against the run of play, Ross Hannah, who had just come on, broke through and the referee made a massive decision in awarding a penalty for what looked to be a clean tackle by Malachi Hudson. The Welling player was cautioned for the foul as was Bush for dissent over the award.

Hannah, bode his time before blasting the spot kick straight down the middle.

Somehow, Grimsby kept out a Welling corner with a desperate goal line clearance before Bush was very lucky to escape a second tellow for a tackle that wiped Hannah out. He was replaced minutes later by former Mariner Jamal Fyfield.

Both Day and Gallagher were cautioned for untidy tackles as Welling's frustrations got the better of them.

A late Day free kick was saved at the near post.

Despite, an excellent second half showing, Welling's away day woes continued with them yet to claim a point on their travels.

Welling United: Turnerer, Fazakerley, Jefford, Day, Fagan, Bush (Fyfield 75), Beautyman, Gallagher, St. Aimie (Marsh 27), Nouble, Hudson. Unused substitutes: Butcher. Williams, Fyfield, Corne.