Welling United took their place in the second round of the London Senior Cup with a 1-0 win at Cray Valley Paper Mills on Tuesday evening.
A single goal is all it took for the young Wings side sprinkled with academy youngsters and fringe first-teamers whose finishing proved more clinical on the night with Charlton Athletic U21s now lying in wait in the second round.
The hosts may have got off to the brighter start, with a few half chances and plenty of possession in the first 45, but it was the Wings who went ahead with their first opportunity.
A free-kick delivery saw the ball eventually fall to Tom Osel in the box and he caught a shot sweetly which nestled into the bottom left-hand corner to put his side in front.
The Millers went in search of a response and came closest through Adam Coombes whose goal-bound header was clawed away by an outstanding save from Kai McKenzie-Lyle.
Cray Valley enjoyed some more openings before half-time, but could not hit the target as the visitors kept their clean sheet intact going into the break.
Welling continued to restrict the hosts to pot-shots from distance after the break, while Denzel Gayle fired straight at McKenzie-Lyle after carving out an opening for himself.
Meanwhile, Cameron Andrews came close with a shot from distance which whistled past the left-hand upright at the other end.
With 19 minutes remaining, McKenzie-Lyle was forced into a good stop to keep out Dan Bennett’s angled rebound after the Wings stopper had also kept out an initial shot from distance.
McKenzie-Lyle once again came to the rescue with a fantastic save to keep out Tom Chambers’ piledriver at his near post in the dying minutes and there was an even better save seconds later when Millers’ stopper Airdas Vilinauskas somehow kept out David Kamara’s shot from the edge of the box which was arrowing into the top right-hand corner, only for it to be tipped over the bar.
Thankfully, there would be no late dramas and the Wings will now host Charlton’s youngsters at Park View Road with a date for the second-round clash set to be confirmed in due course.
Welling United: McKenzie-Lyle, Howard, Kane, Olomowewe, Dickens, Bayford, Osel (Kamara 66), Andrews, Muwonge (Musoke 89), Elito, Francis.
Subs (not used): Pitterson, Hyde.
Booked: Bayford 29 (foul), Olomowewe 45 (foul), Elito 77 (foul on Samuels)
Goal: Osel 13
Cray Valley PM: Vilinauskas, Chambers, Oshilaja, Tumkaya, Gayle, Coombes, Majek, Samuels, Douglas, Bennett, Ibrahim.
Subs (not used): Lewington, Dymond, Edgar, Davis-Whitlock, Webb.
Booked: Douglas 12 (foul on Andrews), Samuels 55 (foul on Elito)
Referee: James Keane
Att: 165