Welling United’s hopes of beating the drop in Vanarama Conference were hit by a 5-0 thumping against Barnet at The Hive on Saturday.

Former Kent favourite John Akinde scored twice to send the Bees back to the top of the table, while Wings had to play almost an hour with 10 men after Chris Bush was shown a straight red card for a professional foul.

Mauro Vilhete put Barnet ahead with a superb individual effort after just 17 minutes and ex Ebbsfleet and Whitstable man Akinde latched onto a flick from another former Fleet hero Michael Gash to make it two five minutes later.

Bush saw red six minutes before the interval after bringing down Gash in the box, with AKinde slotting his second, and 27 of the season from the resultant penalty.

Gash got his name on the scoresheet with the fourth on the hour mark and there was still time for Luisma Villa Lopez to fire a deflected fifth with eight minutes remaining.

The defeat compounded a bad day for Welling, who remain fourth-bottom, but after now five points adrift of safety after Alfreton’s 1-1 draw against Chester and Southport’s 2-0 win at home to Dartford, while Nuneaton’s surprise 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Macclesfield left them third-bottom and only two points behind United.