Welton continued their winning ways with what can best be described as a testing battle against a very physical Wellington side.
Welton got the game underway and the first action saw Ryan Allen bundled over on the edge of the Wellington area. Tom Pawley's free kick was saved by the home side's keeper, Jake Viney.
Good work by full back, Dan Scrivens, saw him drive into the Wellington box, only to be denied by Connor Bryant. Wellington's first effort saw a free kick from Liam Cleal, met by Chris Duckenski, who headed straight at Andy King in the Welton goal. The game erupted in the tenth minute when neat play by Mark Reynolds saw him drill the ball through to Dan Cottle, who raced between two defenders into the area where he was unceremoniously flattened by Viney. The youngster had to receive lengthy treatment. Referee Durkin immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
He was surrounded by Wellington players and the assistant referee had his flag raised as well. After a couple of minutes, order was restored and the penalty decision stood. Viney was shown only a yellow card by Mr Durkin. Upstepped Anthony Conradi, who fired his spot kick low down into the Wellington net. Five minutes later, Welton got a second when further good play by Reynolds saw his effort not cleared properly by the Wellington defence and the ball fell to Chris Peck, who was immediately heavily closed down, but he managed to poke the ball into the net.
At the other end, brave goalkeeping from King saw him deny Ian Bellinger. A free kick from Cottle saw him deliver a quality ball into the area, where Tim Leggs' defensive header was only inches away from going into his own net. Welton continued to press for more goals and a thirty-yard cracker from Conradi flashed inches wide of the post. On the stroke of half-time, Sam Towler was booked for a crunching tackle on Pawley.
The second half began with constant pressure on the Welton defence from the home side, but their cause wasn't helped when they were reduced to ten men after Towler was shown a second yellow card for an awful challenge on Pawley. Welton had dropped back and the game was being punctuated by a series of niggly fouls and Mr Durkin had his hands full controlling the game. King then produced an outstanding save to deny substitute, Ollie Nott. With ten minutes to go, the ten men pulled a goal back when Bellinger broke down the left and King raced off his goalline to close him down, but Bellinger calmly lobbed the keeper and the ball dropped into the Welton net. A couple of minutes later, Welton gave away a free kick on the left and the delivery fell amongst a melee of players in the six-yard area and Wellington Captain, Duckinski, was quickest to react and stabbed the ball into the net to score an unlikely equaliser. Welton responded in the best possible way, with the game fast approaching stoppage time, the ball fell to Conradi on the edge of the area, he spun round and launched a cracking shot that flew past Viney into the Wellington net to score a brilliant winning goal for Welton.With Barnstaple drawing and Cribbs losing, these three hard-won points could be so important for Welton and huge credit must go to the players for keeping their heads in difficult circumstances.