Welling striker Ross Lafayette heads in the winner on Saturday and, below, celebrates his goal. Picture: Keith Gillard

By Matthew Panting

Ross Lafayette's 85th-minute header handed Welling victory over leaders Salisbury in Blue Square Bet South on Saturday.

The Wings played second fiddle to the visitors for long periods of the first half but a new-found defensive spirit - this was a third successive clean sheet for Jamie Day's men - ultimately gave them the foundation to claim the win.

Salisbury started brightly but a combination of wasteful finishing and excellent defending, especially from the commanding Anthony Acheampong who enjoyed arguably his best game in a Welling short, proved their downfall.

Acheampong blocked James White's ninth-minute drive before on-loan Exeter midfielder Elliott Frear curled a left-foot shot against the outside of the post from 20 yards. Two minutes later, Dan Fitchett's smart dummy set up White again but he dragged his shot well wide of the far post.

It took Welling, who fielded strikers Kurtis Guthrie and Lafayette together for the first time since pre-season, 33 minutes to register their first attempt on goal but Guthrie's header lacked power to trouble keeper Will Puddy.

Welling's front pair, while not presented with clear sights of goal, did cause the visitors problems with centre-back Robert Matthews collecting an early caution from referee Graeme Fyvie, who was one of the best officials seen at Park View Road in recent seasons.

Frear beat full-back Connor McLaren for pace on 37 minutes but his pull back to White saw keeper Sam Mott deny the striker with an excellent full-length save.

Welling got their game together in the second half and more than matched the visitors. Lafayette ran at James Clarke before fizzing a low shot across the face of goal while Guthrie's effort had the sting taken out of it by a deflection.

Substitue Kiernan Hughes-Mason excelled down the right wing and his 25-yard shot went a yard wide of the near post.

With seven minutes left, Joe Healy fed Lafeyette, who shot straight at the keeper, but the Wings striker found the net two minutes later.

An excellent exchange with Hughes-Mason, who had started the original move from deep inside his own half, saw the wideman deliver a near-post cross and Lafayette got in ahead of Stuart Sinclair to nod home the winner at the near post.