Welling United ended their season on a real high with a dominant display and a 3-0 victory at Havant & Waterlooville at Westleigh Park on Saturday.
There was no looking back after Kodi Lyons-Foster opened the scoring with less than two minutes on the clock and with Ade Azeez and Christie Pattisson also getting in on the act with goals either side of half-time, it proved proved to be an emphatic way for Warren Feeney’s men to sign off.
The Wings turned on the style in the Hampshire sunshine as they took control in the first half, taking the lead inside two minutes.
Lyons-Foster nodded down a cross for Azeez, who immediately returned it to the defender who struck a sumptuous first-timer into the far corner and strike a swift blow to what was left of the hosts’ faint play-off hopes.
Welling kept piling on the pressure. James Dunne saw a volley fly over, before Azeez was kept out one-one-one by Teddy Sharman-Lowe and the Hawks stopper would put on a further masterclass of shot-stopping.
He dived to tip away Azeez’s looping header with an eye-catching save, although his best save yet would come after he would pick the ball out of the net again with the visitors doubling their lead on 17 minutes.
Some poor play out of the back from Sam Magri saw the Hawks defender pass straight to Azeez, who picked his spot and finished into the bottom left-hand corner.
It was very nearly three moments later but for Sharman-Lowe’s stunning save to prevent Azeez from scoring again with a point-blank volley, but there would have bene nothing he could have done about Pattisson’s powerful drive which skimmed inches past the post on 21 minutes.
Jake McCarthy and Callum Kealy both tested Kai McKenzie-Lyle with half-chances from distance, but it was the Wings who always looked more likely to find the net again as Azeez was, once again, denied by Sharman-Lowe one-on-one late in the half.
Welling continued their dominance after the break, although Manny Parry did make an important block 25 yards from goal after McKenzie-Lyle had got himself stranded midway into his own half.
That would be a rare scare, however, and the Wings added a third before the hour mark with the pick of the bunch.
Pattisson picked up possession on the right before driving into the box and slamming home an unstoppable shot which almost broke the net.
Following that strike, the result was a foregone conclusion and the Wings sailed through to the final whistle to celebrate all three points on final day.
It ensured that the season would be book-ended by an excellent start and finish, with three wins on the spin sending Welling’s fans into the summer on a high.
Havant & Waterlooville: Sharman-Lowe, Newton, Nembhard, Magri (Miller-Rodney 38), McCarthym Rooney, Kealy, Jebb, Wright (Ruff 59), Roberts, Faal.
Subs (not used): Oastler, Gobern, Burnett.
Welling United: McKenzie-Lyle, Papadopoulos, Parry, Lyons-Foster, Ezennolim, Dunne (Andrews 73), Kassarate, Elito (Maloney 57), Pattisson, Payne (Nkrumah 74), Azeez.
Subs (not used): Balarabe, Barnes.
Booked: Payne 15 (foul on Jebb)
Goals: Lyons-Foster 2, Azeez 17, Pattisson 58
Referee: Phillip Eddie
Att: 1,162
