Darren Manning’s Welling Town team upset the odds with a come from behind home victory against Southern Counties East Football League Premier Division pre-match leaders, Glebe.
The visitors couldn’t have asked for a much better start. In the ninth minute, debutant Lanre Azeez sent in a brilliant cross and the league’s leading scorer, Jamie Philpot, rose to head home from close range.
He might have added a second soon after but did not realise how much time he had and hooked it wide as he fell. However, he thought that he had scored when he fired a brilliant dipping shot from fully thirty-five yards that went in just under the bar only to see it chalked out for offside.
Matthew Parsons blasted over for Glebe before the Boots had their first chance when Ollie Sotoyinbo found Manny Adetokunbo but his first time shot flew wide. James Miles then went on a long run but shot straight at Billy Johnson in the Glebe goal.
As half time loomed, Ainsley Everett got on the end of a sweeping move but Ainsley Everett fired over and Philpot did likewise just before the break.
After the interval, Everett blasted a free kick well over before Welling stunned Glebe with a superb equaliser. Sotoyinbo found Adetokunbo and he launched an unstoppable strike in off the underside of the bar, his first goal for the club.
Just after the hour mark, the game was turned on its head. Alex Nelson intercepted a sloppy pass at the back and found Sotoyinbo. Although Johnson made a brilliant save, it came back out to Sotoyinbo who squared for Miles to tuck home.
Kalvin Morath-Gibbs was unable to finish from Parsons’ cross before they missed an even greater chance but Philpot’s strike rebounded off Michael Agboola on the line. Although Glebe appealed for a penalty, the referee wasn’t interested.
Johnson twice kept Glebe in the game, first when keeping out Sotoyinbo’s effort with his feet and then making an excellent save from Joao Carlos.
It proved to be in vain, though, as the Boots held on comfortably. That lifted them two places to seventeenth whilst Glebe gave up top spot to Sheppey United.
Welling Town: Whymark, Agbudume (Oni 81), Agboola, Nelson, Costa, Meade, Sotoyinbo, Frederick, Adetokunbo (Monsheju 72), Miles (Coleman 84), Carlos.
Subs not used: Cave, Brown, Monsheju.
Goalscorers: Adetokunbo (53), Miles (59)
Yellow cards: Adetokunbo, Agboola
Glebe: Johnson, Olorunnisomo, Parsons, Wilson, Lawrence (Beckles 77), Morath-Gibbs, Azeez, Everett (Baugh 71), Philpot, King-Elliot, Chin (Graham 56).
Subs not used: Watson, Douglas.
Goalscorers: Philpot (9)
Yellow cards: None
Referee: Teddy Osborn
Assistants: Jack Heath and Christopher Clarke
Attendance: 98