Tristan Abrahams scored a hat-trick as Welling United stunned runaway Vanarama National League South leaders Yeovil Town.

It ended the Glovers unbeaten league run stretching back to August, and was their first defeat on grass this season.

Reice Charles-Cook returned in goal to start his second spell with the Wings and experienced midfielder Anthony Grant played his first game in a Welling shirt.

Jacob Wannell hit a low shot from distance that Charles-Cook claimed comfortably before a clever dummy by Abrahams allowed Josh Chambers a fun on goal. He twisted and turned before shooting but Morgan Williams got across to block and deflect it over the bar. Chambers delivered the corner and although it was just too high for Crossley Lema, Dominic Odusanya met it with a header that was saved by Joe Day.

Jordan Young hit a free kick well over for the Glovers before he opened the scoring. He found space and cut in from the right before placing a firm shot into the bottom corner. He continued to pose a threat and surged down the other wing before shooting, but with insufficient power to trouble Charles-Cook.

Just after the halfway point in the first half, Welling levelled. A cross-field pass found Kain Adom unmarked and he scored another one of his specials when he fired his first time shot inside the far post from the edge of the penalty area.

Taylor Curran twice met deliveries, one a corner and one a free kick, with his head. The first had no power and was saved easily, while the second flew narrowly wide.

Frank Nouble went on a long run for Yeovil but shot straight at Charles-Cook, however, Welling continued to ask questions and Day made an acrobatic save to tip over another long range effort from Adom. Jephte Tanga attempted a near post flick from Chambers’ corner that went into the side netting to bring the first half to a close.

Seven minutes after the break, Curran’s afternoon came to an end when he went down holding his hamstring and he was replaced by Will Wood. Despite the drawback, Welling went ahead three minutes later. Crossley Lema and Dominic Odusanya combined to send the former away down the right and he crossed to Abrahams who directed his header inside the far post.

Two minutes and fourteen seconds later, Abrahams added his second and Welling’s third. He got behind Wannell and broke away before giving Day no chance with a powerful drive.

He completed his triple nine minutes later when he caught the two Yeovil centre-backs in a tangle. Having brought it down well, he spun and fired into the top corner.

Shell-shocked Yeovil struggled to contain the Wings and Day was relieved to palm away a Jephte Tanga cross before Adom had another effort when off balance and it flew wide.

As the game moved into the latter stages, the visitors had a string of corners but made nothing of them. However, they did create a good chance with two minutes remaining when Nouble crossed deep from the right and picked out Alex Fisher. The Yeovil substitute hit it first time from close range but Charles-Cook got across to make a brilliant block.

Midway through the six minutes of stoppage time, Adom hit another long range shot that required an outstanding full length diving save by Day to push it around the post. Then Cameron Green went on a run before firing over.

That was the last of the action and although the win did not take Welling out of the bottom three, it put them within one win of the safety zone.

Welling United: Charles-Cook, Lema (Howard 90+5), Green, Grant, Curran (Wood 52), Byrd, Tanga, Odusanya, Abrahams, Chambers (Kassarate 84), Adom. Sub not used: Sekajja, Muwonge.

Goalscorers: Adom (25), Abrahams (55), (57), (66)

Yellow card: Byrd, Green, Abrahams

Yeovil Town: Day, Smith, Whittle, Lo-Everton, Williams, Wannell, Young, Worthington (Cooper 76), Cox (Murphy 61), Nouble, Dawes. Subs not used: Maguire-Drew, Idehen.

Goalscorers: Young (16)

Yellow cards: Young, Lo-Everton, Nouble

Referee: Callum Fisk

Assistants: Bogdan Khimych and Adam Steele

Attendance: 826

Images courtesy of Dave Budden