Welling paid the price for Lee Clarke's penalty miss as they lost out to lowly Thurrock in Blue Square Bet South on Saturday.

Clarke sent a seventh-minute spot-kick crashing against the crossbar and it seemed to set the tone for his team in front of goal.

Jack Obersteller was tripped in the box to win the penalty but Welling failed to make their early pressure tell.

Luis Cumbers was picked out by Andy Pugh (pictured, left) but then the former blazed over despite having Loui Fazackerley in plenty of space to his right.

Referee Harry Lennard went card crazy by booking three Welling players in the space of five minutes. There were arguments that Fazackerley and Andy Sambrook could have been cautioned but Jack Parkinson, the first to see yellow, bordered on the ridiculous.

Thurrock scored with virtually their only attack of the half seven minutes before half-time when Joao Carlos' shot came back off the post and Jamie Richards forced the ball in from close range.

They doubled their lead four minutes after the break when David Knight headed in despite a player appearing to be offside in front of keeper Mitchell Walker.

Walker, on loan from Brighton for a month, was signed on Friday after previous keeper Gareth Stewart took up a full-time coaching role at Yeovil.

Welling had plenty of chances to get back into the game but Joe Healy shot wide when well placed while the cards continued to rack up as a number of visitors entered the referee's notepad.

The Wings pulled one back with a penalty 13 minutes from time when Pugh tucked away the spot-kick but they failed to force an equaliser and were left to reflect on a series of missed chances.

Welling's home game against Eastleigh on Tuesday night has been postponed due to the visitors' FA Trophy replay.