By Matthew Panting

Andy Pugh's brace ensured Welling kept pace with the Blue Square Bet South play-off chasers after winning at Lewes on Monday.

Pugh (pictured) took his tally for the season to eight as the Wings eased to victory against a side battling against relegation.

A quiet start came to life with two goals in four minutes. Pugh cut inside and curled home a delightful 33rd-minute opener before Lee Clarke sidefooted into the roof of the net four minutes later to finish off a neat move involving Luis Cumbers and Jack Obersteller.

Only a timely clearance by David Wheeler denied Clarke a clear sight of goal two minutes later as the visitors threatened to run riot.

It was no more than Welling deserved on a difficult pitch as Lewes often struggled to cope with their neat passing and superior movement.

Lewes, who made a double substitution after 40 minutes, were given a lifeline two minutes into injury time when Ben Godfrey turned the ball in from close range after Welling failed to clear their lines.

The post denied Welling a third goal two minutes after the break, when a sliced clearance came back off the woodwork, and then Cumbers fired wide from the edge of the area.

Cumbers was then instrumental in setting up Welling's third goal on the hour mark, crossing for Loui Fazackerley who unselfishly set up Pugh to finish from close range.

Lewes had chances to score a second but Joe Healy cleared Tom Hutchinson's header off the line and substitute Paul Olima's header hit the woodwork late on.