For the third time this season, Main were beaten in a cup tie by a NCEL First Division side as the woeful string of results in major cup competitions continued.
Manager Steve Adams made changes to the side with Tommy Salt and Jake Outram given full debuts. Greg Mason, Lee Mellon and Jonathan Wragg, who has returned from Hallam, were back in the starting eleven.
Welfare had two early chances when Andy Fox had a shot tipped over the bar by Main ‘keeper Jamie Bailey and Joel Birks shot over from eight yards.
Then, in the sixth minute, Main midfielder Adam Shepherd wasted a glorious chance, shooting over from ten yards following Jonathan Wall’s cross from the right.
The miss proved costly as, two minutes later, Welfare took the lead when Scott Bates’ twenty five yard curling shot flew past Bailey into the top corner of the net.
In the nineteenth minute Main drew level when assistant player-manager Lee Mellon hit a low right foot shot into the bottom corner giving visiting ‘keeper Scott Dinnigan no chance.
The relief was shortlived, however, as Main were hit by two quick goals in the space of five minutes.
On twenty five minutes, Bates headed in at the front post from Birks’ corner and, five minutes later, Ryan Damms scored from the penalty spot after Adam Shepherd had brought down Fox in the box.
Main striker Wall forced a good save from Dinnigan following Rob Branagan’s ball into the box and Outram shot wide after getting on the end of Salt’s high ball forward as Main looked for an opening.

At the other end Josh Ashton was off target with two efforts, shooting wide and having a shot easily saved by Bailey.
Just before half time Damms had a goalbound shot deflected for a corner.
Four minutes after the break Bates completed his hat-trick, shooting past Bailey with a left foot shot after beating off three tackles inside the box.
Welfare defender Danny Robinson screwed a shot well wide from Birks’ free kick in the fifty ninth minute before, a minute later, Mellon was sent off for a second bookable offence for a foul on Damms.
Then, in the sixty sixth minute, Main were reduced to nine men when Wall was given a straight red card for pushing the assistant following a decision given by the official on a throw-in that the player disagreed with.
Unsurprisingly, Welfare dominated the rest of the match with Damms shooting just over, Bates having a header pushed onto the bar by Bailey from substitute Callum Flanagan’s cross from the right and substitute Kyle Foers-Chalmers forcing a good stop from Bailey.
A minute from full-time Bates got his fourth of the match, latching onto Damms’ through ball and slotting-in from close range to complete Main’s misery.

Main: Jamie Bailey, Tommy Salt, Greg Mason, Jon Wragg, Dave Gleeson, Lee Mellon, Jake Outram (Neil Longhurst 55), Adam Shepherd, Jonathan Wall, Rob Branagan (Scott Whittington 75), Simon Hickey
Unused sub: David Shepherd