The Citizens allowed the Bucks side to take revenge for a home defeat back in August by the same score-line.
This was despite the home team playing much better on that occasion than in this rather poor pre-Xmas fayre, played in front of a crowd of just over 100 on Saturday.
WGC held the edge in terms of chances and territory during the forgettable 90 minutes, but lost to a Beaconsfield penalty 20 minutes from time, from which they couldn’t recover.
The Herns Way side were without the unavailable Jack Green and Carlos Velasco, but Panny Boxer and Adam Pollock were restored and striker Bailey Stevenson was on the bench for the first time in several weeks.
Eddie Corbit miscued WGC’s opening chance in two minutes, when a ball over the top put Nick Ralfe in behind the visiting Rams’ defence.
Welwyn Garden City FC home match against Beaconsfield (Image: Michael Jolley/@jolleysjpeg)
Beaconsfield responded with winger Zidan Akers going past several WGC challenges to bring a sharp save from home keeper Lamar Johnson with his feet, to keep his side on terms.
The home side were also thankful to skipper Layne Eadie for a header off the line from Beaconsfield defender Luke Neville’s powerful header from a corner.
The action continued and WGC had a great chance from an Eadie free-kick that found Pollock on the back post, but his tame header was straight at visiting keeper Tommy Dymott.
Dymott then produced the save of the afternoon as he got down to turn away a Ralfe effort, after the WGC winger waltzed inside several challenges and looked certain to add to his midweek double at London Lions.
Steve Cawley was the next home player to have a chance to give the home side the lead, but finding himself through thanks to a lucky deflection, he badly miscued his effort well wide of the target.
The second-half was a poorer affair.
Boxer was unable to turn in an early chance after Corbit had headed on an early Lewis Taaffe free-kick, despite two attempts at it, and Taaffe latched onto a loose ball inside the area, but shot straight at Dymott.
WGC made their first change replacing Boxer – who had been booked – with Charlie McDonald after an hour and further changes saw Stevenson and Mendes introduced upfront, Larwood and Pollock making way.
Welwyn Garden City FC home match against Beaconsfield (Image: Michael Jolley/@jolleysjpeg)
But on 70 minutes, Beaconsfield, who had offered little threat since the break, were awarded the decisive penalty, as Ralfe clipped the back of Zack Francis-Grante’s legs in a tangle on the edge of the area and referee Botten immediately pointed to the spot.
Visiting skipper James Dobson slotted a confident spot-kick past keeper Johnson and despite some late pressure from the home team, that proved the incident that decided the points.
WGC, who sit in eighth place presently, have no Boxing Day fixture, but will have a testing start to 2026, meeting promotion challengers, Hertford, Biggleswade Town, Ware, Hitchin and Biggleswade FC, all in the opening six weeks of the new year.
WGC: Johnson, Pollock (Mendes 69), Boxer (McDonald 60), Read, Eadie, Bruno, Corbit, Larwood (Stevenson 69), Taaffe (Kirwan 81), Ralfe, Cawley. Sub:- Rookard (not used).
Comments are closed.