Basingstoke Town 1-3 Welling United

Tactical changes by both managers shaped the game and once the Wings had regained the league they never looked in danger.

Referee Alex Neil’s eccentric performance came to the fore early on when he showed incredible leniency in giving no more than a free kick as Matt Finlay’s foul on Luis Cumbers robbed him of a goal scoring opportunity.

Loick Pires struck the dead ball kick just over the crossbar.

Robert Rice had a long shot saved by Gareth Stewart and Graeme Andrews cleaned up a couple of dangerous looking Basingstoke attacks with headers back to Stewart however it was the visitors who enjoyed the better of the first half.

Pires freed Joe Healy and his cross was met by an acrobatic Andy Pugh volley that flew just wide with home goalkeeper Simon Moore well beaten.

Lee Clarke was foiled by a fortuitous Stuart Lake tackle then Pugh fired just over following good work by Pires and Jamie Coyle.

Healy had a flick header saved from Pires’ right wing cross before Welling made their pressure count.

Jack Obersteller cut inside and with the Stoke defenders expecting him to play the ball outside he fooled them with a delicious through ball to Pugh.

The Welling front man was unlucky to see his shot come back off the post but Pires was alive to the situation and was first to the loose ball firing just inside the far post.

Stewart was called into action shortly before half time making a good save from Delano Sam-Yorke.

Basingstoke started the second half strongly and Matt Pattinson shot just wide.

Moore was then required to make a save from Healy who had made the chance for himself.

Frank Gray, Basingstoke’s manager, then made three team changes altering the shape of his team in an effort to get back on level terms.

This resulted in Coyle becoming isolated and David Pratt headed wide from a Sam Yorke cross then Jide Ogunbote’s header from Rice’s centre brought a fine save from Stewart.

The Welling management team tried to counter the threat by substituting Cumbers with Loui Fazakerley but before he had sufficient time to settle the Dragons equalised.

Matt Warner crossed from the left and Pratt converted clinically.

Five minutes later, and with ten minutes remaining, the Wings regained their lead.

Ross Adams fouled Healy and Jamie Day’s short free-kick was driven low and with swerve by Jack Parkinson beyond the reach of Moore who had been wrong footed into defending the side of the goal covered by the wall.

Welling did not look troubled again and increased their lead as the game entered injury time when Healy broke free only to be brought down by Moore.

Despite Moore having stopped Healy from scoring unfairly, refusing to release the ball when requested by the referee four times and then unleashing foul mouthed tirades at both the assistant referee and the referee himself, Mr Neil deemed the award of a penalty and a yellow card sufficient punishment.

Clarke did not allow the delay to disturb him and sent Moore the wrong way.

Welling United: Stewart, Coyle, Obersteller, Day, Andrews, Parkinson, Cumbers (Fazakerley 72), Clarke, Pires, Pugh, Healy. Unused substitutes Acheampong, Obamwonyi, Johnson.