TAKING on Conference National side Eastbourne Borough in the FA Trophy, Welling United will probably feel slightly aggrieved to have come away empty handed.

The visitors dominated the early stages and after Liam Enver-Marum had headed wide, he gave his team the lead in the 20th minute.

Dan Smith played the ball that put him through and despite Charlie Mitten foiling him at the first two attempts, the tall striker was able to force the ball home third time lucky.

Smith then turned villain earning a yellow card for a cynical tackle on Loui Fazakerley. Sam Hurrell took the resultant free kick but Fazakerley was unable to find the target with his first time effort.

Welling then had a golden opportunity to equalise when from Tony Finn’s cross the presence of Andy Pugh caused havoc. The ball fell to Graeme Andrews but he blazed his shot high over the crossbar.

Just before half time Enver-Marum squirmed through several challenges but saw his shot turned away for a corner by Mitten.

Manager Jamie Day must have made an impression at half time as Welling came out far stronger in the second half and as the game went on they became more and more dominant.

Fazakerley put in crosses from each wing that required desperate defending by Ben Austin, both times resulting in corners for the hosts.

Andy Pugh, in has last game of his loan spell unless an extension can be arranged, sprung the Sports offside trap and his shot was turned just wide by former Welling goalkeeper Danny Knowles.

Knowles made an even better save midway through the second half pushing away a vicious curling shot from Michael Deane.

Simon Johnson hit a shot over for the visitors before Knowles fumbled a Fazakerley effort only to see Austin hack the loose ball away.

Day made two changes in the last ten minutes and substitute Jake Hobbs saw his shot deflected into Knowles hands after Pugh’s initial effort had been blocked.

Sadly, this proved too little too late and with the help of some unsavoury time wasting antics Eastbourne held on to take their place in the next round.

Welling United: Mitten, Sambrook (Hobbs 80), Deane, Johnson, Andrews, Parkinson, Finn, Cutler, Hurrell (King 85), Pugh, Fazakerley. Subs not used: Obersteller, Bakare.