Welling United’s final away game of the 2024/25 season ended in defeat to Chelmsford City at the Melbourne Stadium on Easter Monday.

The hosts took an early lead in emphatic fashion after just five minutes when Charlie Ruff sent a powerful drive into the net from just inside the box.

And the Wings fell further behind shortly after the hour mark when the Clarets skipper secured his brace, heading home from close range after a corner was nodded back across the six yard box.

It could, and probably should, have got worse for Welling on 34 minutes when Chelmsford had the ball in the net, but the referee had already blown his whistle for a penalty seconds before it had crossed the line  – to add to the controversy, Ruff put his penalty wide, denying himself a hat-trick.

For the visitors’ part, Tyrese Briscoe forced home keeper Ted Collins into a good save, while Gene Kennedy fired just wide from the edge of the box.

Welling would half the deficit early in the second half when Josh Redfearn pounced on a loose backpass, punishing the hesitancy of Collins to nick the ball off him and finish into an empty net to make it 2-1.

And moments later, the visitors nearly took advantage of another error at the back when Collins was left stranded on the edge of the box after tackling Redfearn, leaving the ball to run loose to Scott Kashket who fired just over the empty net.

But just as it looked as if the Wings had got a foothold back in the game, Chelmsford bagged themselves a third, with Ruaridh Donaldson finding the bottom right-hand corner for 3-1.

With nine minutes remaining, the Clarets added a fourth to put another nail in the coffin with sub Freddie Hockey sliding the ball past Rhys Lovett, while Archie Tamplin banged in the final nail from close range three minutes later.

Welling’s season will end with the visit of Salisbury to Park View Road on Saturday.

Chelmsford City: Collins, Donaldson, Tamplin (Akanbi 85), Blackman (Mupomba 75), Crichlow (Hayes 83), Penney, Ruff (Hockey 67), Barnum-Bobb, Bland, Valentine, Appiah (Oguntayo 39).

Booked: Barnum-Bobb 29 (delaying restart)

Goals: Ruff 5, 32, Donaldson 50, Hockey 81, Tamplin 84

Welling United: Lovett, Bramble, Burchell (Kashket 45), Di Trolio, Martin, Cornish, Kennedy, Davies (Ballard-McBride 71), Kamara, Taylor-Crossdale, Briscoe (Redfearn 45+1).

Booked: Bramble 22 (foul), Kennedy 86 (foul)

Goal: Redfearn 50

Referee: Joseph Dann-Pye

Att: 788

(Photo: Roger Robinson)