A brace from Brody Robertson and goals from Marc Cooper, Lawrence Heward and Louis Grant was enough to see Marcus Newell’s men return with all three points.

Newell made four changes to their midweek draw at home to Worksop Town. Daniel Grant, Jack Barlow, Richard Peck and a debut for Matthew Kennedy all made the starting line-up due to a mixture of injuries and availability issues.

The Owls made their attacking intentions known from the off as they nearly scored within 30 seconds. Welfare keeper Josh Archer has to parry a stinging shot from Robertson from 25 yards out after finding himself in acres of space.

From the ensuing corner delivered in from the right by Jack Barlow, Peck headed just over the bar. Chances kept coming for the Owls in the opening minutes but it was Cooper this time who should have opening the scoring but he could only head wide of the mark from an Alex Flett cross.

At the other end, Welfare came close to testing Miles Fenty in the Owls goal but Matthew Cressey dragged his shot wide of the mark much to his frustration.

The Owls came even closer to scoring in the seventh minute as Liam Dickens saw his bullet header come crashing back off the crossbar following a great Barlow delivery.

With the hosts having ridden their luck in the opening 10 minutes they began to have a period of sustained pressure however they could not muster any shot of substance.

With the Owls looking to keep up the pressure on league leaders Worksop Town, they knew that a hatful of goals must come to enhance their goal difference. However, Archer had other ideas in the Welfare goal as he continued to keep the Owls at bay. Firstly Cooper went close then Daniel Grant saw his goal bound shot blocked.

A series of corners in the 23rd minute caused havoc in the Welfare defence but once again they managed not to concede. Barlow swung the ball in, the ball was cleared only to Cooper but his shot was dragged wide. Then seconds later Barlow forced a superb one-handed save from Archer with a 25-yard arrowed strike.

Dickens then thought he had given the Owls the lead as a free kick was floated in to the back post and Dickens stuck a leg out but Joshua Morley was on hand to clear his lines and prevent the first goal.

Chances kept coming and going as the frustration grew for the Owls. Flett dribbled past four Welfare players before shooting inches over from 30 yards. Then Robertson latched onto a through ball, he then square it to Cooper but once more Cooper could only shoot wide.

Debutant Kennedy came closer to scoring in the 33rd minute when he glanced a Barlow cross just wide. His header from just 10 yards out showed the intent of the striker but it lacked the composure.

Only 60 seconds later though and the Owls finally managed to break down the Welfare defence. Robertson sprinted onto a through ball and coolly slotted the ball home to the keepers right for his 28th goal of the season.

The second goal should have come before the break but once more the resolute Welfare defence stood strong. Flett was denied with just five minutes of the half remaining then Cooper had a double chance saved as Archer denied the striker from ending his six match barren run.

With both sides unchanged at the break the second half started as the first had ended. The Owls continued their unrelenting assault on Welfare. From the off the chances kept coming once more. Robertson came close within seconds of the restart but he could not time his run correctly as Cooper played a great through ball but Robertson was offside with just the keeper to beat.

Just three minutes later Barlow bumfuzzled his way past three Welfare players but shot over the bar. At the other end, Welfare ended a 30 minutes wait without a notable chance as Liam Kellet danced his way down the wing. He squared it to Kingsley Weatheral but he chipped the ball over Fenty’s crossbar.

The fans inside the ground did not have to wait much longer for the second goal of the game though. Just three minutes later Robertson extended the Owls grip on the game as he nodded home a well-worked short corner that saw Barlow knock it to Flett who delivered a pinpoint cross.

A third was added just six minutes later as Cooper finally managed to get himself on the score sheet as he bundled the ball into the net from close range but you could see from the delight on his face what it meant.

Both scorers were then substituted and replaced by Louis Grant and Daniel Trott. The impact was nearly immediate as the pair caused the Welfare defence trouble inside the box as a corner was whipped in but Peck’s header was cleared off the line as he looked for his fourth goal of the season.

Shots kept reigning down on the Welfare goal but Archer was on fine form despite the scoreline as he prevented Heward from scoring after he connected perfectly with the ball inside the box but was denied by strong hands. Once more Archer was on hand just one minute later to deny Barlow as Louis Grants mis-hit shot fell to Barlow but he could not squeeze the ball home.

The last substitution was made by Newell with just 17 minutes remaining as Barlow was replaced by Jack Richardson. The extra energy given by this change caused Welfare problems but it wasn’t until Louis Grant was fouled on the left hand side in the 82nd minute that the next chance came for the Owls.

Flett hit the free-kick low and hard just in front of the keeper as he saw Heward make a great run to the near post and he was on hand to smash the ball past Archer to make the game more than safe with little time left on the clock.

Welfare went in search of a consolation goal and would of found this had it not been for the brilliance of Fenty in the Owls goal. He denied substitute Jordan Walker with a strong one-handed save to his right from 25 yards out.

With just four minutes left on the clock the Owls finished the scoring for the afternoon as Louis Grant made it 5-0. Kennedy saw his shot parried from a tight angle only for it to fall to the feet of Grant who tapped home for his 15th Owls goal of his career.

The referee blew for full-time not long after the game entered injury time as the Owls recorded their 12th away win of the season which sees them just seven points behind leaders Worksop Town with a game in hand. With Worksop not having a game until Saturday the 4th April, and the Owls playing twice before (28th March at home against Thackley and 3rd April away at Barton Town Old Boys) the gap at the top could be as little as one point.