Participation in the F.A. Trophy ended for Welling United with defeat at home to Lincoln City.

It was always going to be a massive task for the Wings against the leaders of the Vanarama National League, even though Lincoln rested many first team players. However, Welling did not help themselves by gifting their visitors chances.

They gave away the first goal in just the sixth minute. Adam Coombes had already had a shot blocked for Welling when their captain, Sean Francis, made a horrible mess of a back pass that allowed Dayle Southwell to advance and slide into the net beyond Chris Lewington.

Francis then gave the ball away again in a bad area allowing Southwell to send Josh Ginnelly away down the wing but Jack Muldoon fouled Rickie Hayles in the process of heading over.

Ginnelly's pace then allowed him to get onto the end of a through ball but Lewington made a superb save to touch it away for a corner.

Christian Nanetti and Harry Crawford combined to give Coombes another half chance but Elliott Whitehouse made a great block.

Matt Fish then swept over a cross that Pierre Joseph-Dubois headed over then Coombes did likewise from a Sam Hatton free kick.

Fish then showed his value at the other end with a superb clearance from a Sean Long cross.

Jordan Brown sent Coombes away down the left wing and he held it up well before picking out Nanetti but Lincoln showed their willingness to put their bodies on the line when diving into the path of the shot to block.

Lewington was called upon to make another one on one save just before the break when Ginnelly broke away once more, and he did superbly to smother.

He was called into action again immediately after the break when Ginnelly broke down the wing before crossing to Muldoon whose flick found Southwell but Lewington saved his shot.

There was nothing that he could do minutes later when Hatton gave the ball away in midfield and Alan Power sent Joe Ward away to fire home.

Ward repeated the trick a minute later following a tidy one two with Muldoon leaving the Wings in a helpless state.

Rickie Hayles had a header saved easily before Welling reduced the arrears on the hour. Hatton swung in a dangerous free kick that Danny Waldren glanced a header beyond Paul Farman.

Then a half cleared Welling attack came out as far as Hatton but his strike lacked power and Farman saved easily.

Coombes fired a free kick into the wall before Adam Marriott cut across the Welling penalty area before shooting wide.

Waldren headed over from a Fish cross before Ward created an opening for Terry Hawkridge who shot high and wide.

After Francis had a header wide, Crawford had a shot half blocked to loop up for an easy save for Farman.

As the game entered injury time, Lewington made one final save to thwart Marriott.

Welling United: Lewington, Fish, Brown, Hatton (Slabber 82), Hayles, Francis, Nanetti, Waldren, Crawford, Coombes, Joseph-Dubois (Walker 59). Subs not used: Fuseini, Johnson, Leacock.