Welling United bowed out of the FA Cup to Weymouth in the third qualifying round on a forgettable afternoon at Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday. 

Having found themselves two goals behind in the first half, the uphill struggle became steeper after the break when the Terras added a third, putting an end to the Wings’ cup dreams for another year and inflicting a first defeat in eight. 

Welling made a slow start to the game and struggled to create in the early exchanges, while the hosts tried their luck from distance on a few occasions at the other end. 

Weymouth eventually took a 23rd-minute lead when Tom Bearwish’s initial shot into a crowded area took a deflection to wrong-foot McKenzie-Lyle and leave Bradley Ash with the simple job of turning home when the ball fell at his feet. 

It got worse for Welling 10 minutes before the break when the Terras doubled their lead from the penalty spot when Ash was hauled down in the box as he looked to turn. Keelan O’Connell stepped up and slotted his spot-kick into the bottom right-hand corner to put his side into a commanding lead. 

It took until the 42nd minute for the visitors to carve out their first real opening when Stefan Payne turned excellently in the box to dig out a shot which was heading for the bottom corner, only for Weymouth stopper Zaki Oualah to get down to tip it around the post. 

Warren Feeney opted to shuffle his pack just before half-time, bringing on Antony Papodopoulos in place of former Weymouth defender Taofiq Olomowewe in hopes of boosting his attacking options and finding a way back into the tie. 

Early in the second period, the home side came close to a third when a lightning-quick counter-attack saw substitute Tyler Forbes hare into the box, only to be denied my McKenzie-Lyle. 

But it would not be long before that third did come as Tom Bearwish fired home a low effort from distance after a cross was half-cleared to just outside the box. 

There were chances for the hosts to add to the scoreline with Tom Blair forcing McKenzie-Lyle into a smart save on the line, while Dan Gifford headed at the Wings’ stopper, but while Welling failed to create anything at the other end, it remained a relatively easy passage into the final qualifying round for the south-coast club. 

The afternoon was summed up in the fifth minute of injury time when the visitors were awarded a penalty after Antony Papadopoulos’ shot struck an arm in the box, but Ade Azeez’s spot-kick came back off the post.

Feeney’s men will now have to dust themselves off as they return to league action with the trip to Hampton & Richmond Borough next weekend. 

Welling United: McKenzie-Lyle, Barnes, Parry, Sendles-White, Olomowewe (Papadopoulos 45), Ezennolim, Kassarate (Hyde 58), Dunne, Maloney (Francis 58), Azeez, Payne.

Subs (not used): Roberts, Cox, Howard, Dickens. 

Booked: Dunne 13 (foul on O’Connell), Ezennolim 62 (foul), Sendles-White 73 (dissent)

Weymouth: Oulah, Howe, Kyprianou, Carlyle, Matsuzaka, Nippard (Forbes 51), Bearwish, O’Connell, Blair, Rose (Gifford 46 (Burrows 90)), Ash.

Subs (not used): Monk, Sanford. 

Goals: Ash 23, O’Connell 35 (pen), Bearwish 56

Booked: Kyprianou 79 (time-wasting)

Referee: Alex Blake

Att: 548