WGC's early double over promoted sides

Welwyn Garden City took their second scalp of a newly promoted side in three days, as they stretched their unbeaten start to the new Southern League Div 1 Central campaign to two wins from two games, at Biggleswade in midweek.

The victory sees Nick Ironton’s side one of five sides to win both their opening games – Berkhamsted, Halesowen, AFC Dunstable and newcomers Daventry – being the others.

If both clubs steer clear of an FA Cup replay, then WGC will host Berkhamsted on Bank Holiday Monday at Herns Lane, before travelling to Halesowen the following Saturday, in what looks to be a tough week for the Citizens.

This game was the polar opposite to Saturday’s opening day win over Wantage, when WGC overpowered last season’s Hellenic League champions with a very strong second-half showing.

This time, Ironton’s men tore into their successors as Spartan South Midlands League champions – Biggleswade FC – from the first whistle and had built up a 3-0 lead by the first half-hour.

It was after the interval that WGC slackened off when comfortably in control and allowed the home side in for a late consolation, just before the end.

The Herns Lane side had a sixth minute effort, a clever back-header from Toby Cleaver past home keeper James Connell, cleared off the line.

But three minutes later underlined their strong start, when Romelle Alomenu – in the starting line-up after his fine second-half display on Saturday - crossed high to the back post, where the raiding Jay Rolfe looped a header over Connell into the opposite corner for 1-0.

Three minutes on and the in-form Eusebio Da Silva laid on a shooting chance for Alomenu, but the wide player dragged it across goal.

Cleaver stabbed a George Ironton corner just past a post on 18 minutes, but a minute later WGC doubled their advantage, Da Silva taking a through ball, cleverly switching feet to slip a challenge and crash in his second goal in as many games.

Moments later, he almost had a second, heading a long free-kick over.

But WGC’s pre-season top marksman wouldn’t be denied and just past the half-hour he notched his second and the side’s third, when an Ironton free-kick eluded the entire home defence and Da Silva had a simple task of tapping home.

Biggleswade didn’t have their first chance until five minutes from the interval, when Lee Northfield’s dipping volley just cleared WGC keeper Connor Sansom’s crossbar.

Sansom was called into action on the stroke of the break, making a fine body block to keep out a Tom Coles effort, as the Beds side improved in the half’s closing stages.

Da Silva struck a hat-trick chance straight at keeper Connell, when he latched onto another Ironton free-kick six minutes after the restart, before the dangerous Coles wrong-footed WGC’s Carl Mensah before shooting over the bar, as Biggleswade gave a better account of themselves in the second-half.

A fine curving pass from Da Silva put Cleaver in for a good opportunity, but the striker allowed Biggleswade defender Michael Fisher to get to him and block out the danger.

Both sides rang the changes – WGC bringing on Jean-Paul Antwi, Aundre Spencer and Olly Carey – with Dylan Ebengo, Will McClelland and finally Cleaver making way.

Four minutes from the end, keeper Sansom failed to collect a corner and Coles fired in a consolation amid the resulting scramble and the home skipper spurned another chance almost on the final whistle, from a free-kick.

Had that counted it would have given the game an unjust scoreline.

WGC dominated this clash for the opening two-thirds, although manager Ironton will be less pleased with the way his side closed it.

WGC: Sansom, Rolfe, Ebengo (Antwi 63), McClelland (Spencer 63), Mensah, Walklin, Close, Ironton, Cleaver (Carey 70), Da Silva, Alomenu.

Welwyn Garden City Match Report