Dartford 2 Welling United 3 match report: Wings progress to FA Cup Third Qualifying Round thanks to Antony Papadopoulos hat-trick despite two-goal Lewis Manor’s efforts

Hat-trick hero Antony Papadopoulos guided Welling to the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round with a derby win at Dartford on Saturday.

Two-goal Darts striker Lewis Manor twice had put them in front but attacking midfielder Papadopoulos netted twice, once in the first half and twice after the restart, for the Wings.

Welling hadn’t even scored in September before the 3-2 triumph.

There was an early stoppage in play when on-loan away midfielder Jephte Tanga, 19, took a whack to the head at Princes Park but he was fit to continue in front of a crowd of 1,031.

Leyton Orient loanee Tanga remained heavily involved in the early stages. He tried his luck for the Wings with a long-range strike in the ninth minute, only for Dartford goalkeeper Mitchell Beeney to make a save.

The hosts created their first opportunity three minutes later. Young keeper Ben Winterbottom saved from an unmarked Manor who had nodded Archie Woods’ corner towards goal at the back post.

But the 18th minute saw Alan Dowson’s troops draw first blood as Manor nodded in from yards out, having found space at the far post again, to nod in makeshift midfielder Paul Rooney’s hooked delivery.

Shortly before the half-hour mark, the visitors twice went close.

Debutant striker Tristian Abrahams whipped in a left-wing cross and fed Cameron Green who was denied by Beeney’s legs. The 24-year-old then broke through again, only to be thwarted by Beeney once more.

Charlie Sheringham headed over a low right-wing cross for the home side with 40 minutes played.

That squandered chance by Sheringham appeared even more costly when Papadopoulos curled a free-kick around the wall and into the bottom left-hand corner of Beeney’s net.

An eventful end to the first period then saw Rooney fail