WELWYN GC turned in a five star performance to inflict a first league defeat of the season on Stotfold and lift themselves to third in the Southern League Div 1 Central table.
In a 15 minute spell towards the end of the first-half, the Citizens ripped the Beds side apart with three goals and should had at least one more.
They never relaxed their grip on the game in the second-half, adding two further goals to leave Stotfold a badly beaten side by the final whistle.
Manager Gavin Kelsey was delighted with his team’s dominant performance and praised all 16 of his squad, as WGC won their fifth league victory out of six this season.
Such a commanding win couldn’t have been predicted in the opening period of the game, which was fairly even, although WGC had the better of the early chances, Eddie Corbit lofting one over the bar and Luis Cantello striking a weakish effort, saved by Stotfold keeper Groom.
It took an outstanding goal on 28 minutes to open the floodgates, a short corner on the right set up the chance for WGC full-back Brad Dixon-Smith to hit a fabulous 30 yarder arrowing into the top corner to put the Herns Way side ahead.
That should have been 2-0 four minutes later, Tyreece Robertson shaking off the attentions of Stotfold defender Valencia to go clean through, but to shoot inches wide!
A WGC second wasn’t long in coming. On 37 minutes, a free-kick to the back post saw skipper Jay Lovell head across goal for Ethan Rookard to rise and head home from close range.
Two minutes from the break, Robertson made amends for the earlier miss, again getting the better of Valencia to outmuscle the full-back again and this time crashing his effort over Groom and under the crossbar for a 3-0 half-time lead.
WGC took off skipper Lovell, who had passed a pre-match fitness test, at the break and replaced him with teenage defender Frankie Impey.
Within minutes of being introduced, Impey sustained a worryingly looking shoulder injury, but happily recovered after a few minutes treatment.
From the hour mark, manager Kelsey rang the changes, Kendall Gyamfi and Evaristo Mendes replacing scorers Rookard and Robertson.
And it was Mendes who claimed the fourth on 70 minutes, when from a right-wing corner, defender Keiran Gauthier got in a goalbound header, that the predatory Mendes forced over the line.
That became five seven minutes from the end, from the penalty spot. Fine approach work by Nick Ralfe and Reece Barrett set up Gymafi inside the area, but the forward had his legs whipped away by a Stotfold challenge and referee Leaning pointed to the spot.
Gyamfi stepped himself and rammed in the penalty for 5-0.
In the closing stages, there were still chances for more from WGC.
Ralfe made a fine run from one of the pitch to the other and got over a good cross from the right. The ball was cleared out to Barrett, but from in front of goal, he pulled his shot across the face.
In the game’s final minute, Ralfe whipped in a fine free-kick that brought the save of the match from keeper Groom and prevented Stotfold suffering even further damage.
It was a complete performance from WGC to take into their much anticipated FA Trophy tie at Eastbourne next Saturday.
WGC: Sansom, Ntege, Lovell (Impey 46), Gauthier, Dixon-Smith, Corbit (Barrett 71), Nosike (Hayes 71), Cantello, Robertson (Mendes 60), Rookard (Gyamfi 60), Ralfe.
