Welling 0 St Albans 1

A tale of two penalties - one awarded and one not - was the story of Welling's home defeat to St Albans on Tuesday night.

The visitors won the Blue Square South clash thanks to Jonathan Hunt's 21st-minute spot-kick.

Welling felt they should have had a penalty themselves late in the second half when substitute James Baker was clattered in the box but referee M Bampton waved away their appeals.

The Wings ultimately paid the price for a slow first-half performance. The tone was set inside the second minute when Adam Gross' shocking backpass let in Gary Cohen but he failed to capitalise.

The only goal arrived after a sloppy bit of defending from Matthew McEntegart. Choosing not to clear his lines under pressure from Cohen, the Wings skipper got himself in a tangle and ended up bringing Cohen down. Lucky to escape with only a caution, McEntegart watched Hunt deliver the ultimate penalty from the spot.

St Albans' Scott Cousins saw his low drive turned aside by Jamie Turner before Simon Martin shot weakly when well placed.

Welling, who introduced debutants Baker and Sanchez Ming at half-time, improved after the break. Ming twice went close before a late rally saw Bastock save his side.

The veteran keeper produced an excellent double stop to deny Jerome Anderson and then Ming again before the Wings were denied a blatant penalty when Baker was felled.

It was a baffling decision from the official, who then played less than two and a half minutes for stoppages despite a flurry of substitutions, a lengthy delay for an injury to St Albans' Ryan Frater and a stop-start half with more than half a dozen balls being kicked out of the ground.