A goal after four minutes decided Fleet’s last away game before the opening-day visit to Gateshead as Welling United won this one at Park View Road.
The Wings found the breakthrough early on when Oscar Borg’s strike was well parried by Harrison Firth but the goalkeeper could do little to stop Elliot Long following up to sweep the loose ball home.
A quick and aggressive forward run by Franklin Domi saw a shot head towards goal but drift off target before Greg Cundle went closer with a neat run down the left; he cut into the box and got a shot on goal that Rhys Lovett blocked.
Firth was again strong when next called into action after Gene Kennedy capitalised from a miskick and the young keeper moved smartly across goal to keep that one at bay.
Neither side could create a nailed-on chance and the National South side went in at the break ahead.
Five minutes into the second period, Louis John whipped a promising ball into the area in an attempt to pick out Jephte Tanga at the far post but Kennedy sent that ball out for a corner kick. The Fleet won a succession of corners from both sides after that but couldn’t make Welling pay.
Off the bench, Dom Samuel fired a shot across the face of goal but that didn’t trouble Lovett before Kennedy, who showed quality throughout the game, nearly bagged a stunner for the hosts when he unleashed a shot from 25 yards out that flew to Firth’s left but clipped the side netting.
Fleet went closer moments later when Samuel picked up the ball in the middle and bent a shot towards goal which struck the outside of the post. Claims for a penalty were then waved away when Franklin Domi pulled the trigger in the box and it appeared to strike the hand of Zain Walker – but nothing came of that.
In the closing stages, Craig Tanner sent over a couple of corners and Giles Phillips’ headed effort was just off target, while Tanner couldn’t get a late free-kick over the Welling wall.
A counterattack from Welling in the dying moments allowed substitute Jack Munns to go one on one with Firth who read his attempted lob to deny the Wings a second.
EUFC squad from: Firth, Cordner, John, Fonguck, Samuel, Poleon, Cundle, Domi, Edser, Tanga, Phillips, Chapman, Dallison, Tanner, Thomas, Trialist.
