WELWYN GC scored their third pre-season win from five games, when they visited Redbridge on Monday for a pre-season fixture and this was easily the most impressive of that winning trio so far.
They conquered a home side that last season reached the final of their Isthmian League North division play-offs, only to lose a place in the Isthmian Premier on a penalty shoot-out to Colchester’s Stanway Rovers.
So for the new-look WGC side to lower the colours of a side who will be one of the favourites in their step 4 division – the same standard as the Citizens – was quite a coup.
WGC went into the game still lacking first choice forwards George Sippett and Nick Ralfe (injured) and also had the influential Eddie Corbit and Reese Mosanya unavailable for this game. But they welcomed back skipper Jay Lovell to the heart of their defence and winger Tyreece Robertson upfront.
The game was decided by a 40th minute goal worthy of winning any game.
WGC were awarded a free-kick wide out on the right five minutes from the interval, Robertson lofted it over and Kendall Gyamfi rose excellently above the entire Redbridge defence and home keeper to head a picture goal.
The home side had begun strongly and WGC keeper Connor Sansom made a couple of sharp saves, while Joe Shenouda had the visitors’ best early effort blocked in front of the home goal.
Teddy Stacey’s fine diagonal long ball put Robertson in the clear, but the tricky winger hesitated and allowed a good opening to be blocked.
Manager Gavin Kelsey range the changes in the early part of the second-half, replacing Robertson, Luca Gordon, scorer Gyamfi, Shenouda and Stacey all in the opening 20 minutes, giving outings to Evaristo Mendes, Ethan Rookard, the newly signed Brandon Annous and two trialists.
One of the trialists and Annous combined to put Rookard in, for him to swivel and hit a rasping effort on the turn, inches past the far post as WGC came close to a second goal.
Annous then made a good run down the left, tricked his full-back, but shot another good opportunity straight at the home keeper.
Redbridge tried desperately to force an equaliser, but keeper Sansom and an outstanding defence, wouldn’t be breached.
The keeper was, however, beaten by a low shot in the area, five minutes from time.
Luis Cantello, playing his third consecutive game in a different position – this time at right-back, after playing centre-half and midfield – got back behind his keeper to clear off the line and preserve the WGC victory.
WGC: starting line-up: Sansom, Cantello, Lovell, Gauthier, Ngete, Stacey, Nosike, Gordon, Shenouda, Gyamfi, Robertson. Subs:- Mendes, Rookard, Annous & two trialists (all used), Monks (not used).
