Welling United slipped to a 3-1 defeat defeat to Aveley at the J Hearnden Skip Hire Community Stadium on Saturday.
The Wings were made to pay for some early defensive errors, finding themselves 3-0 down in the first half and giving themselves too much of an uphill battle to climb.
And despite a spirited second half performance that saw Kain Adom pull a goal back from the spot, Welling could not find a way to turn the deficit around.
The hosts shot themselves in the foot early on as they found themselves behind with 11 minutes on the clock.
Taylor Curran failed to deal with a cross from the left, scuffing his clearance and allowing Nana Kyei to collect the ball and fire an easy finish past Reice Charles-Cook.
Four minutes later it would get worse for the hosts. Welling, once again, failed to clear their lines as a ball cut back from the left was met by Alex Hernandez who fired home.
Welling responded with some pressure at the other end – Chiori Johnson, making his second debut since his return to the club, fired over from distance, before Kain Adom saw a volley well blocked in the box.
Shortly after, there was a big shout for a penalty when Adom’s goalbound header appeared to be blocked by an arm, but the appeals fell on deaf ears.
You got the sense that the next goal would prove vital and that would prove to be the case. Unfortunately, it would be the visitors who added a third. To their tally as the game entered first-half injury-time – Charles Hughes smashing in another finish from inside the box.
The Wings did have a pair of chances to pull one back ahead of the break with Crossley Lema stinging the palms of Jordan North, before Anthony Grant headed just over from close range from the resulting corner.
Danny Bloor rang the changes at half-time, replacing Taylor Curran and Daniel Carr with Enoch Muwonge and David Kamara.
The shuffle appeared to make a difference early after the restart with Welling applying pressure as they searched for a way back into the game.
North made another good save to keep out Muwonge’s piledrive from 12 yards, while Kamara’s deflected shot was sent spinning just wide shortly after.
On the hour-mark, the pressure paid off and the Wings were given the opportunity to pull one back from the penalty spot when Adom was upended by Alex Hernandez in the box.
Adom dusted himself off and stepped up himself, making no mistake in sending the keeper the wrong way to give his side a glimmer of hope.
On 72 minutes, Adom raced into the box on the right-hand side but was denied by the on-rushing North, before the home side came agonisingly close to reducing the arrears to a single goal.
Cameron Green breezed down the left to send a low cross towards the far post and Antony Papadopoulos slid in to desperately get the touch which would turn it over the line, but he was millimetres away.
Welling were giving it a good go in the second half, but with the clock running down and luck evading them, time was running out.
Muwonge saw a volley blocked in the box, while Crossley Lema’s shot was hacked off the line in a chaotic few moments, but it just would not fall for the hosts in their quest for a heroic comeback.
The Wings will now turn their attentions to the Isuzu FA Trophy when National League leaders Chesterfield visit DA16 in the fourth round next Saturday.
Welling United: Charles-Cook, Johnson, Curran (Muwonge 46), Bramble, Lema, Green, Grant (Chambers 82), Odusanya, Papadopoulos, Adom, Carr (Kamara 46),.
Subs (not used): Bridgeman, Byrd.
Booked: Bramble 54 (foul), Papadopoulos 70 (unsporting behaviour), Muwonge 90+7 (foul)
Goal: Adom (pen) 63
Aveley: North, Cochrane, Vaz, Odelusi, Jones, Gibbs, Krasniqi (Eze 90+1), Kelly, Hughes (Gbode 86), Hernandez (Ogunrinde 67), Kyei.
Subs (not used): Ring, Yates.
Booked: Vaz 59 (foul on Papadopoulos), Hernandez 63 (dissent), Kelly 70 (unsporting behaviour), Jones 79 (foul on Kamara)
Goals: Kyei 11, Hernandez 15, Hughes 45+2
Referee: Nicholas Dunn
Att: 736
