A trademark free-kick by player-manager Jamie Day earned Welling a place in the last 16 of the FA Trophy on Saturday.

Having already knocked out Blue Square Bet Premier title-chasers Newport in the previous round, Welling made hard work of a Woking side who finished the game with nine men.

The visitors had the better of the early exchanges and took an eighth-minute lead when Jake Gallagher was tripped 25 yards from goal and Day, pictured, curled home his first goal of the season past Aaron Howe.

It could have been 2-0 seven minutes later, but Day’s corner was headed over at the near post.

Woking were reduced to 10 men on 19 minutes when striker Brett Williams jumped into a challenge on Kiernan Hughes-Mason on the halfway line and was rightly shown a red card by referee John Hopkins.

Kevin Betsy looked the home side’s best outlet and he forced Wings keeper Sam Mott into a low save before Joe Healy teed up Ross Lafayette at the other end and his shot was turned over by Howe.

From the resulting corner, Ben Martin’s header came back off the bar and Howe brilliantly denied Kurtis Guthrie from the rebound.

Woking’s frustrations were summed up when striker Bradley Bubb slammed the ball into the advertising hoardings nine minutes before half-time and he was promptly booked by Hopkins.

When Bubb then stopped Hughes-Mason in his tracks early on the second half as Welling threatened to break away, Hopkins was left with no choice but to show him a second yellow card.

Guthrie was denied by a last-ditch tackle but Welling struggled against the nine men, who chased every ball and always looked dangerous from set plays.

Joe McNerney headed straight at Howe midway through the half and while plenty of balls went into the Welling penalty area thereafter, the hosts failed to create another clear-cut chance.