A very accomplished Welling side continued their excellent start to the season at Staines Town on Saturday.
Welling served early notice of intent with a good turn in the box and crisp shot by Pugh.
At the other end, Wings keeper Charlie Mitten was lured out of goal by Ali Chaaban and was pleased that Warren Harris’s angled shot floated just over, but then Welling began to take control.
A free kick 25 yards out was touched to Jack Parkinson, whose super strike was parried by Wells, and Danny Gordon tidied up as Pugh closed in on the rebound.
After 19 minutes, Wells pulled off the first of two saves that verged upon the miraculous, as Jack Obersteller’s cross from the left was met by a powerful Pugh header that was arrowing towards the bottom corner of his net.
Three minutes later, Gordon had to clear off Cumbers’ toes as he shaped to shoot in the box. Darty Brown collected a yellow card after he challenged Fazackerley who crumpled alarmingly but quickly bounced back to full fitness.
Chaaban raised Swans hopes with two chances in quick succession, one blocked on the line after a throw near the corner flag, and then had another shot diverted in front of the net.
Then, after 32 minutes, Harris got a good head to a René Steer corner but it flew just wide.
But as half time drew close, Welling returned to the attack, Louis Wells pulling off an amazing save on 40 minutes to block Luis Cumbers’ close range header from a Loui Fazackerley cross.
Having got within two minutes of the interval without conceding, Staines were disappointed to go behind at that point, but it was a fine individual goal by Andy Pugh, who somehow found space to dribble through the middle of the home defence before burying his shot in the bottom corner.
There was a dramatic start to the second half, with Leroy Griffiths netting the rebound from a Chaaban shot, only to see the goal disallowed for a tight offside decision.
But, within a very short time, Welling had pushed forwards and doubled their lead when Loui Fazackerley pounced on a rebound to score.
Two goals down in a competitive home game since February, Mr Cordery reacted quickly to change the side, introducing Marc Charles-Smith and Scarlett, and following them with Scott Taylor.
Ten minutes after coming on, Charles-Smith was unlucky when he nodded over the advancing Mitten, but saw his effort rebound off the woodwork – and straight back into the ‘keeper’s arms.
In the 74th minute, Coyne picked up a needless yellow card for kicking the ball away, joining team-mate Healy who was guilty of the same offence in the dying seconds of the first half.
With 10 minutes left, Charles-Smith was involved again, feeding Chaaban, whose good shot was well saved by Mitten.
Then a neat move featuring Griffith, Chaaban and Charles-Smith move lacked only a final shot.
Now it was Welling’s turn to ring the changes, pitching on their remaining two subs, but this served only to unsettle their defence further, and in the 90th minute, Staines pulled one back.
Scarlett’s deep corner was headed back across goal by Ifura towards Darty Brown, who cracked home a header from in front of the opposite post – his first goal in open play for the club.
Just before the signal for five added minutes went up, Griffiths was only fractionally offside after being picked out in space by Scarlett. There was one more breathtaking save in this game, but this time it was by Mitten, somehow keeping out Griffiths’ close range 91st minute header.
The final moment of drama came in the fifth extra minute, when a lunging challenge by Coyne on Griffiths saw the Welling defender dismissed for a second yellow card. But there was barely time for Swans to take advantage of their greater numbers, and they have as a result slipped to 16th.
Staines: Wells; Jackson, Steer, Gordon ©, Ifura, Risbridger (Taylor 71), Kamara (Charles-Smith 56), Brown, Griffiths, Chaaban, Harris (Scarlett 56); unused Sterling, Orlu.
Welling: Mitten, Coyle [SO 90+5m], Obersteller, Day, Andrews, Parkinson ©, Fazackerley, Sambrook, Cumbers (Whitnell 89), Pugh (Cracknell 77), Healy (Billings 86); unused Omegbehin, Johnson.
Ref: AJ Newell (North Yate); ARs D Berry (Fareham) & SP Wales (Tewkesbury); Att 314.
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