Welwyn Garden City win at North Leigh in the Southern League

The latest one was a 2-1 success at North Leigh, Cyrus Babaie and Brad Wadkins getting the goals, the last of them in stoppage time.

And the success follows equally good fortune at Kidlington and Thame United.

This one though was the best of the bunch with the hosts still ending the game second in the table.

WGC manager Marc Weatherstone even had to name himself as one of the substitutes. Picture: LINDA BABAIE (Image: Linda Babaie)

They had come into the fixture on the back of five straight wins but while they never really found top form, this was still a deserved win for a depleted Citizens who had only four substitutes which included keeper Donnabhan Green and boss Marc Weatherstone himself.

James Mulley (ankle), Josh Steele (hamstring) and Ryan Kirwan (heel) joined long term injured Sam Tring and Zak Guerfi on the list, while Zac Brown was unwell and Yasin Boodhoo unavailable.

The game had an uneventful start, a Jack Tutton header over the bar was the home side’s first foray forward, while a Lewis Taaffe shot on the turn, that winged just wide was WGC’s opening reply.

But just past the 15 minute mark, the Citizens snatched the lead.

Wadkins won a strong challenge and with North Leigh appealing for a foul, he worked it through to Babaie who waited until home keeper James Foster committed himself before cleverly swerving his shot past him.

It was Babaie’s first goal since returning to the club from Potters Bar Town.

WGC almost had two shortly afterwards, a Taaffe free-kick cleared only as far as Bailey Stevenson but his tremendous shot screamed wide of the goal.

But scrappy play and bookings allowed the momentum to shift and it got North Leigh back on terms before half-time.

The ball was switched out to Owen James and his fine cross met by striker Lance Williams, controlling and driving his effort beyond Charlie Crowley.

Like the first-half there were few goalmouth incidents in the early stages of the second-half.

Weatherstone brought on his two expected subs, the injured and booked Manny Olagunju as well as Stevenson replaced by Adam Pollock and Henry Jones.

As the game headed to its conclusion, Welwyn twice had a goal ruled out.

First, with seven minutes remaining, Dernell Wynter met a Josh Bryant cross from the left and while his header was blocked, Jones forced the ball over the line.

The offside flag ended those celebrations and it was a handball that prevented Babaie getting his hands in the air again on the stroke of full-time.

But four minutes into the 12 added at the end of the game, the Citizens' battling efforts reaped their rewards.

A free-kick from the outstanding Jack Vasey, playing his first full game since pre-season, saw home keeper Foster race off his line but fail to reach the cross.

Wadkins got in front of him and with a deft flick he sent the ball dropping over the keeper and into the net, cueing joyous scenes from the WGC bench who raced down the touchline to embrace the scorer.

There were still eight further minutes to survive to collect the points but Welwyn did so in relative comfort to move up to 14th in the table.

WGC: Crowley, Harris, Kaloczi, Olagunju (Pollock 60), Bryant, Vasey, Wadkins, Taaffe, Stevenson (Jones 72), Wynter, Babaie.

Subs (not used): Weatherstone, Green.