Welwyn Garden City were beaten 3-1 away to AFC Dunstable

In the seven seasons since they achieved promotion, the Citizens have drawn just twice and lost the others, the 3-1 loss the latest in that sequence of misery.

And to add to manager Marc Weatherstone’s woes of having taken just two points out of the last 15, he also had keeper Joe Welch given a straight red two minutes from the end of normal time, for clattering into home substitute Bruce Ovidye-Nsang.

WGC's Joe Welch was sent off in the final minutes at AFC Dunstable. Picture: PETER SHORT (Image: Peter Short) The Herns Way side were missing top scorer Bailey Stevenson for this fixture, serving a one match ban, in a line-up that showed four changes from the 2-0 home defeat by Flackwell Heath.

Harry Gallagher came into the centre of defence while returning skipper Brad Wadkins was paired with Reece Cameron upfront to cover for Stevenson’s absence.

Charlie McDonald was also back in midfield after a bout of illness.

Welwyn did start sharply enough though, a good run by full-back Harvey Steel found Lewis Jones, who set up Cameron for the first effort of the game, a low shot saved by home debutant keeper Matthew Bonsu.

But in six minutes, AFC were ahead. Midfielder Enrico Greco was allowed to make a run at the WGC goal from the left.

And even when he was stopped, the visitors’ defence failed to clear and Russell Berko was on hand to whip a low shot past Welch.

That really set WGC back and they were fortunate not to trail by two before the 20 minute mark, a misplaced pass by Joe Bennett found Dunstable’s Kyle Brooks in the area and it took a fine challenge by Ryan Sellers to rescue the situation.

WGC’s best effort was a powerful Gallagher header from a Layne Eadie corner that forced Bonsu to an excellent tip-over save just before the half-hour.

The Citizens’ task was made much harder when they went 2-0 down, seven minutes before the break.

An underhit back pass from Sellers let in Greco. His effort was blocked by Welch's body but again the WGC defence was slow to react to the loose ball and striker Sean Duodo slipped it in at the far post.

In fairness to WGC, the second 45 minutes was a tale of almost relentless pressure on the home goal.

Wadkins volleyed an effort from a Riley headed clearance just over the bar and then brought a save from Bonsu from a flashing header from Jed Ejjayha’s cross, both in the half’s opening minutes.

Henry Jones and Eddie Corbit were introduced just past the hour, Cameron and Lewis Jones making way, and the pressure continued.

Quick thinking by Gallagher, from a free-kick, played Wadkins in for a third time, but again his effort was struck over the Dunstable crossbar.

Further chances went begging, Jones volleying a good opening over and then hitting a home post from one of the eight corners WGC forced during this siege.

They made further changes bringing on Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo and Aiden Read for Ejjayha and McDonald for the final stages.

Then just when it looked as if all this endeavour would be for nothing, WGC scrambled a goal back four minutes from the end of regulation time.

From yet another Eadie corner, substitute Read got a goalbound touch and the effort deflected off home full-back Kwadwo Bugyei-Kyel to beat Bonsu, the effort credited as an own goal, to bring it back to 2-1.

WGC then went all out for the equaliser with little time left and twice this policy proved fatal.

First there was Welch's dismissal, Read replacing him in goal, and then deep into stoppage time, they were caught on the break again, a low cross from the right finished off by Ovidye-Nsang.

WGC: Welch, Steel (Kirwan 82), Eadie, Ejjayha (Read 76), Gallagher, Sellers, McDonald (Otseh-Taiwo 78), Bennett, L.Jones (Corbit 65), Wadkins, Cameron (H.Jones 65).