WELWYN GC powered to the top of the Southern League Div 1 Central with their third successive away victory, at Ware on Bank Holiday Monday.
The Citizens followed up their victories at Hadley and Barton to make a 100 per cent start to their new league campaign.
It’s the Herns Way side’s best start to a campaign since their final season in Spartan South Midlands League football, before promotion, a decade ago.
And as at Hadley and Barton, WGC scored three goals in winning, stretching their run to five successive victories, including their two triumphs in the FA Trophy.
In front of a 400 plus holiday crowd at Ware’s Wodson Park, WGC began this game in fine style, picking up from their highly impressive win over Norfolk’s Mulbarton Wanderers, just two days before.
But despite the Citizens’s bright start, it was Ware who had a golden chance to take an early lead, when Reece Beckles-Richards got over a cross from the left to find Josh Hutchinson unmarked, but the home striker fired wide.
Immediately, at the other end, a miscue by home defender Jack Grosvenor let in WGC’s Ethan Rookard, but he shot against home keeper Zack Braverman’s legs.
Moments later the visitors were ahead, when Eddie Corbit outmuscled home skipper Herbie Townsend in a challenge, ran clear and from 20 yards finished with a shot into the corner for a fine, opening goal.
WGC maintained their dominance until the closing quarter of the half, when Ware started to impose themselves.
WGC survived a couple of close calls, skipper Jay Lovell managing to hack a Beckles-Richards effort off the line and then the same Ware player swerved a fierce effort just wide of keeper Connor Sansom’s far post.
But the Citizens reached half-time with their single goal lead still in tact.
Gavin Kelsey’s side were straight back at it from the opening minutes of the second-half and defender Grosvenor got in a goal-saving tackle on Ryan Hayes in the half’s opening minute, to prevent WGC doubling their lead.
A fine WGC move involving Junior Moses and Corbit saw Keiron Gauthier pull the ball back for Hayes to strike over the bar, before the visitors did double their lead just past the hour.
The goal came from a right-wing Brad Dixon-Smith corner that saw Rookard power in a strong downward header past Braverman for 2-0.
A superb save from keeper Sansom from a home free-kick swerved in by Ware’s Wordsworth preserved the lead, as manager Kelsey made changes to his line-up.
Reece Mosanya, Luca Gordon and Reece Barrett all came on, replacing Nick Ralfe, Hayes and Corbit and it was substitute Gordon who supplied WGC’s third.
A long Gauthier throw went into a crowded area. Gordon pulled away to make space and cleverly turned to fire back through the pack and into the far corner, to seal the victory.
Again, there was late drama with the only blot on the WGC display – a red card for Junior Moses in a late incident with Beckles-Richards - sent off for ‘serious foul play’ according to referee Rikki Woolford.
WGC: Sansom, Gauthier, Impey, Lovell, Dixon-Smith (Mendes 85), Nosike, Corbit (Barrett 73), Moses, Hayes (Gordon 70), Ralfe (Mosanya 65), Rookard (Gyamfi 81).
