A DEPLETED Welwyn GC side made it into the preliminary round of the FA Trophy, thanks to Nick Ralfe’s third goal in two games, when they visited newly promoted Buckhurst Hill for the first time.
The Essex side, who are playing at step 4 – the same as WGC, for the first time this season – after winning the Essex Senior League play-offs, provided stiff opposition, but a battling, WGC performance saw them through.
The Citizens will now meet Norfolk’s Mulbarton Wanderers, also newly promoted after winning the Eastern Counties League plays-off, at home in the next round.
The tie on Saturday week (Aug 29th) could be the first match played on Herns Way’s new 3G pitch, installed in the summer, provided an FA test is passed earlier that week.
WGC’s midweek 3-1 win at Hadley, when match-winner Ralfe scored twice, came at a cost.
Four players – Kendall Gyamfi (hamstring), Teddy Stacey (knee), Brad Dixon-Smith and Brandon Annous (both ankle) – all picking up injuries that ruled them out here, while WGC also had Egan Ngete suspended and Ethan Rookard unavailable.
So they had just three substitutes for this game and one of those was a goalkeeper.
Buckhurst Hill had an early chance from a corner, their skipper Ollie Williams being left unmarked, but his header was over the bar.
WGC responded with a slick move involving five players and ending with Ryan Hayes setting up Luca Gordon for a low shot, easily claimed by home keeper Christian North.
The Citizens were fortunate that Suley Zuhdu’s lob over keeper Connor Sansom, was also just over the bar as well.
Evaristo Mendes struck two half chances over the home bar in WGC’s reply, while claims for a penalty went unheeded by referee Wigington, as another Gordon shot seemed to strike a home defender.
Half-time saw a fairly even contest goalless, but the Citizens looked sharper immediately from the early minutes of the second session.
Good work by Hayes played Gordon in for a third effort on goal, but again his low effort was easily held by keeper North.
A free-kick when Mendes was held back by his shirt, saw Eddie Corbit’s clever chip just clear the angle of post and bar.
But WGC were clearly becoming the dominant side at this stage and that was underlined by them taking the lead just past the hour.
A long clearance from the back from skipper Jay Lovell was cleverly controlled and set up by Hayes for the incoming Ralfe, who placed a well struck finish beyond North and into the far corner for 1-0 in 63 minutes.
The home side were quickly stirred into action after falling behind and clever work by substitute Temple played in Tyler Dolan, whose goal bound effort was pushed by keeper Sansom onto the post and out.
But despite a lot of pressure and a long period of stoppage time, the home side weren’t to come as close again and WGC’s defence, with teenage defender Frankie Impey outstanding at the heart of it, held firm for the victory.
The only blot on the Citizens’ performance coming five minutes from the end of normal time, when the talented Luis Cantello got mixed up in a melee and was given a straight red for kicking out, an offence that will see him miss three games.
WGC: Sansom, Cantello, Lovell, Impey, Mosanya, Nosike, Hayes, Corbit, Gordon (Gauthier 85), Ralfe, (Barrett 80), Mendes.
