Defeat at home to Boreham Wood in the Vanarama National League South increased Welling United’s relegation concerns.

Kwesi Appiah’s second half goal was sufficient for the visitors as Welling lost their sixth game in seven. At the other end of the spectrum, Boreham Wood extended their run to thirteen league and cup games without defeat, and four consecutive wins. It also allowed the Hertfordshire club to complete the double over the Wings.

Playing with the slope in their favour in the first half, the visitors applied pressure from the start and Femi Ilesanmi missed at the far post before Kwesi Appiah shot wide of the other upright. Tom Whelan then delivered from the right and it skimmed off the top of Ilesanmi’s head before Matt Rush’s acrobatic volley from Josh Hare’s cross flew over.

Appiah headed over from a Rush centre before wing back Ilesanmi came even closer when his strike went out off the base of the post. Welling goalkeeper Dylan Berry twice came to Welling’s rescue, first with an unorthodox save with his feet to keep out Appiah, and then an excellent diving save to thwart Ilesanmi.

There was hope for Welling supporters of a better second half early on when Riccardo Di Trolio headed just over from Daniel Martin’s free kick However, it wasn’t long before Boreham Wood were back on the attack and Berry was again called into action when beating away a powerful near post drive from Rush.

Eventually, the visitors made the breakthrough with a goal that will have disappointed Welling manager Rod Stringer. Whelan was again the supplier with a cross that Rush met to draw a brilliant reaction save from Berry. However, the Welling back line froze and Appiah reacted quickest to finish from close range.

Whelan then tried his luck with a drive that a diving Berry turned away before Gus Mafuta got his shot all wrong and it flew high and wide.

Zain Walker got forward for the Wings and had a shot deflected wide by Charlie O’Connell for Welling’s only corner, but they didn’t make anything of it. After that, the visitors were content to see the game out, which they did with relative ease.

On Saturday, the Wings are back in action with another long and difficult road trip when they visit Weston-super-Mare.

Welling United: Berry, Statham (Kamara 86), Burchell, Grant (Andrews 75), Winfield, Di Trolio, Johnson (Walker 61), Kennedy, Redfearn (Alexandrou 65), Bramble, Martin. Sub not used: Ondo.