WELWYN GC breezed into the second round of the Herts Senior Cup, where they will meet the winners of next week’s tie between St Albans or Hitchin, away from Herns Way.
The Citizens accounted for newly promoted Watford side Everett Rovers of the SSML in this first round tie, despite fielding an understrength side.
Manager Gavin Kelsey opted to give regulars Eddie Corbit, Keiron Gauthier, Tyreece Robertson and Junior Moses the night off, while he had other regular starters Ethan Rookard, Nick Ralfe, Ryan Hayes and Malik Nosike on the bench.
He was pleased to welcome back skipper Jay Lovell to the centre of defence, after a fortnight out with hamstring trouble.
WGC’s evening got off to a bad start, when they had to substitute Luca Gordon within two minutes, the recalled midfielder suffering a recurrence of an old ankle injury. Ralfe replaced him.
There was further trouble for the Herns Way side, when Everett took the lead in seven minutes.
A misplaced clearing header sent their winger Max Drayton haring down the left. He outpaced Egan Ntege and as keeper Connor Sansom, advanced, he slipped his effort into the far corner for a great early boost for the Watford side.
It took WGC some time to get to grips with the game, but after 20 minutes they came within an ace of equalising, Kendall Gyamfi cutting inside his defender to strike the foot of the Everett post with his effort.
Moments later WGC were level. A fine Frankie Impey long ball put Reece Mosanya down the right. He outpaced his defender and cut the ball back and Reece Barrett finished from close in, for 1-1.
Six minutes from the break, WGC were in front. It came from a long Lovell throw on the left and Impey jumped highest to get in a looping header that beat the Everett keeper, although the last touch appeared to be off a visiting defender.
The Watford side weren’t out of the tie and in the opening minutes of the second-half, Louis Bircham and Jay Puzey cleverly switched passes to put Puzey in to hit the WGC post with his effort.
The Citizens responded with Luis Cantello bursting forward from their midfield, to hit a powerful 25 yarder that was inches wide.
Just before the hour, skipper Lovell was replaced by Nosike with Cantello dropping into the backline, where he played very impressively for the final half-hour.
WGC pressed for a clinching third. A fine through ball from Brad Dixon-Smith put Evaristo Mendes in, but Everett keeper Rashid pushed the effort around the post.
Then fine work by Gyamfi played Mosanya in on goal, but the winger took it too close and the chance was lost.
Then on 68 minutes, WGC stretched away to a 3-1 lead. A fine ball from Cantello sent Ralfe away down the left, he sent up Mendes, who was hauled down in the box. Referee Poole immediately pointed to the spot and Mendes took the kick himself to net the third.
WGC made further changes for the final 10 minutes, including giving close season signing George Sippetts his first minutes in a WGC shirt, after a lengthy injury.
And he made his mark. In the game’s final minute, the striker neatly intercepted a misplaced pass and homed in on goal, also to be pulled down.
Again referee Poole was in no doubt about the penalty and Sippetts took responsibility to net his first WGC goal, with an emphatic penalty, in the game’s last action.
WGC: Sansom, Ntege, Impey, Lovell (Nosike 56), Dixon-Smith, Cantello, Barrett (Hayes 80), Mendes (Sippetts 80), Gordon (Ralfe 2), Gyamfi, Mosanya.
