In an error-riddled match, Southport where unable to capitailise on an early gift goal for the remainder of the first half and Welling had enough chances to, at least have been level at the interval.
That early goal came in the sixth minute when Mark Stuart collected a long clearance from Steve Dickinson, but his shot was blocked by Paul Wilkerson. Somehow the goalkeeper lost his grip on the ball which went between his feet and had just enough pace to cross the line.
To their credit, Welling where not deflated by that setback and the home defence had problems in containing several dangerous attacks most of which involved the visitors’ outstanding player Leon Braithwaite.
Twice he forced Dickinson to make excellent saves and, on another occasion Southport where rescued when Tim Ryan made a vital tackle on Braithwaite deep inside the penalty area.
Ian Arnold increased Southport’s lead five minutes after the interval with Dickinson again was involved. The goalkeeper took a free-kick near his goal-line, Arnold collected the ball, held off a challenge from Russell Edwards and curled a left-foot shot low into the far corner of the net from 15 yards.
Southport must have felt that they where home and dry at that stage, against a side with the worse defensive record in the Nationwide Conference, 25 goals against in 13 matches, but Welling came back and Zeke Rowe reduced the lead in the 70th minute. Kevin Dennis put over a centre from the left and, in trying to clear, Southport substitute Neil Grayston only succeeded in playing the ball into the path of Rowe, who beat Dickinson comfortably with a right-foot shot from ten yards.
Another Southport substitute Neil Woods restored Southport’s two-goal advantage in the 82nd minute.
Stuart took a free-kick which was pushed forward by Arnold and Woods blasted in a 25-yard shot with his right foot off the underside of the bar.
Then Dickinson came to his side’s rescue with a superb save from Ritchie Hanlon, Welling’s leading scorer with ten Conference goals, diving to his left to turn the ball aside.
But Welling were not finished and another centre from the left by Dennis saw Dickinson fail to gather the ball under pressure from Rowe and the unmarked Braithwaite fired his shot into the bottom of the net from six yards.