Elliott List scored for Gillingham as they beat National League South Welling in the second round of the Kent Senior Cup.

A quickfire double from the Gills put them two goals up in the first half, with List and Noel Mbo on target in the opening 15 minutes.

Nassim L’Ghoul scored a stunner for Welling with eight minutes left but the Gills hung on to claim a place in round three.

Gills boss Steve Lovell had threatened to play his first team players at Welling, following their disappointing performance at Wimbledon, but in the end only List was in action at Park View Road.

Navid Nasseri, an unused substitute at the weekend, was also starting in a team that was otherwise made of of the club’s youngsters.

The Gills lined up 4-4-2 and included former Crawley and Barnet player Andre Blackman at left-back.

List, keen to impress after the weekend loss, was always a threat and he opened the scoring on 13 minutes. He spun his marker midway through the Welling half, before advancing and firing past the keeper from inside the box. Mbo had claimed the assist and two minutes later he had a goal of his own.

Aaron Simpson played the Gills striker in, but he still had plenty to do, showing strength in the box before finishing from close range.

Welling’s lively French winger L’Ghoul had a couple of efforts saved by keeper Tom Hadler and picked out Nathaniel Pinney with a great ball in behind, but he had was stopped in his tracks by Jack Tucker.

List had sight of goal on a couple more occasions in the half, overcoming an early collision with Yannis Ambroisine, which had seen him receiving lengthy treatment for a head injury. Keeper Dan Wilks saved one effort with his leg and watched another drift wide.

Bradley Stevenson was also a threat, with some determined runs, but was unable to finish.

Welling’s Julian Anau wasted two good early chances in the second half, putting one over the bar and the other the wrong side of the post.

The Gills made a slow start to the second half but Nasseri should have added a third, running in on goal but unable to hit the target from an angle.

Welling’s finishing continued to be off the mark with substitute Gavin McCullum firing wide. When they did get their range, Hadler proved in good form, saving brilliantly from substitute David Ijaha at close range.

L’Ghoul’s persistence got him a deserved goal late on, picking his spot from 20 yards with a sweet strike in the 82nd minute. Welling had a chance to level moments later but McCullum somehow put James Hurst’s cross wide.

Welling United: Wilks, Hurst, Braham-Barrett, Mendy (Ijaha 54mins), Ambroisine, Mendes, Kissock (McCullum 57mins), Anau, Pinney (Quebe 67mins), McDonald, L’Ghoul. Subs not used: Mills, Goldberg.

Gillingham: Hadler, O’Mara, Simpson, Tucker, Trialist, Oldaker, Chapman, Stevenson, Nasseri, List (Woods 59mins), Mbo. Subs not used: Hlabi, Sheminant, Scarlett, Catherall.

Attendance: 197.