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Welling 1-0 Farnborough

9:20am Tuesday 24th January 2012 in Welling By Mark Doig

HOME form has been crucial to Welling United’s promotion drive and their unbeaten league record at Park View Road remained intact after a hard earned victory over Farnborough on Saturday.

Clean sheets have been at a premium for Welling this season but Nick Pope’s first in Welling colours meant that the Wings only needed one goal to reach the 50 point mark for the season, Luis Cumbers obliging with sixteen minutes remaining.

Loick Pires returned to the Welling line up following injury in place of Ryan Dolby who returned to the substitutes’ bench.

Ben Martin was called upon to make a couple of headed clearances in the opening minutes before Welling got into the game.

Jamie Day just over-hit a through ball for Cumbers that Tom Lovelock claimed then Pope was called upon to make a fine save when tipping over an Adam Bygrave header at the other end.

Cumbers became provider when good close control allowed him to play the ball back to Pires, but although his shot was on target he failed to must sufficient power to worry Lovelock in the Farnborough goal.

Jordan Parkes shot wide for Farnborough before centre half Douglas Bergqvist earned the first yellow card of the afternoon for a cynical challenge on Pires as he burst through.

Day took the free kick that resulted but was unable to find the target.

Jack Evans and Pires combined to give Day an opening but he could only stretch his leg out and stab his shot beyond the far post.

Pires created the final opportunity of a mediocre half for himself but his powerful shot was off target.

Phillip Page fired over early in the second half before Ashley Winn went on a long run only to see his effort blocked away by Andy Sambrook for a corner.

Pope claimed a shot from Parkes that appeared to be going wide before Welling took over control.

Lovelock, who played one game for Welling in the 2010-11 season, had to be out sharply to clear from Cumbers who was almost played in by Dean Cracknell.

Farnborough then had a let-off when Lee Clarke’s header from a Day free kick appeared to be handled.

Another burst from Cumbers ended in him playing the ball back to Cracknell but the midfielder shot over.

Ben Greenhalgh replaced Cracknell as Welling went for a formation reshuffle in an attempt to find the elusive goal.

Loui Fazakerley had a shot saved before Clarke was shown a yellow card for a needless foul.

Superb control by Pires, and a little shimmy, enabled him to find the space to cross but Cumbers was only just able to reach the delivery and the ball skimmed wide off his head.

Oliver Treacher’s foul on Fazakerley resulted in confusion in the Farnborough penalty area from the free kick.

Cumbers saw his effort saved and, following up, Jack Parkinson’s shot was cleared off the line by Treacher.

The deadlock was broken in the 74th minute when Clarke’s tight control on the bye-line gave him room to pull the ball back to Cumbers who finished clinically.

Orlando Jeffrey found some reason to be unhappy and was booked for dissent before being substituted promptly.

Further Farnborough indiscipline saw them reduced to ten men when Bergqvist kicked out at a prone Pires who jumped up to confront him.

Both players were shown yellow cards and as Bergqvist had already been cautioned earlier he started his walk off before the red card was brandished.

Parkes was then booked before Pires was withdrawn in the 87th minute and replaced by Warren McBean.

Day hit a free kick over, Cumbers had a chance cleared off the line from Welling’s only corner, Greenhalgh had an effort blocked and Evans had a shot saved by Lovelock as the Wings saw the game out on the front foot.

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Welling United: Pope, Fazakerley, Evans, Sambrook, Parkinson, Martin, Cracknell (Greenhalgh 58), Clarke, Cumbers, Day, Pires (McBean 87). Unused substitutes: Dolby, Obersteller, Acheampong.