A tight local derby had to be decided by a penalty shoot-out, after Colney Heath hit back to equalise mid-way through the second-half, after the Citizens had taken a 12th minute lead.
WGC’s more experienced campaigners kept their heads from the spot, with Lewis Jones, Bailey Stevenson, Layne Eadie and finally Tom Bruno all netting their kicks. Their only miss saw Steve Cawley hit both posts with his effort, only for it to bounce out.
Recently signed keeper Chris Brazil – given his debut by manager Marc Weatherstone – pulled off one fine stop in the shoot-out and another Colney Heath penalty was skied over the crossbar, to give WGC victory.
Weatherstone rang the changes for this tie, giving Brazil and another recent signing Jared Lines their debuts, while also including young defenders Jola Adeoti and Jed Ejjayha from the start. Aiden Read lined up in midfield.
The Citizens got the fillip of an early goal, when a fine cross came in from the right from Bradley Bell and Evaristo Mendes rose well to net a textbook header back past Colney Heath keeper Liam Gauthier into the corner.
But any immediate goal rush following this early boost didn’t materialise and Colney Heath responded quickly, Jack McShane shooting wide from a sharp chance.
Mendes lofted a chance of a second over the bar, after good work by young Adeoti. as the game meandered to the interval.
Jones replaced Eddie Corbit five minutes into the second-half, as Colney Heath began the second session the livelier side and Brazil was forced to make two sharp saves in the early minutes – his first action of the match.
Mendes again had WGC’s best opportunities, but fine work by Heath defender Finn Carpenter foiled the Citizens’ striker adding his second, clearing from an unguarded net.
It was at the other end that Carpenter then made a notable contribution, getting his head onto a long cross into the right to see it flick off WGC defender Brad Gothard and beat Brazil into the corner, for the equaliser with just over 20 minutes still to play.
WGC applied a lot of pressure in the latter stages, but their Spartan South Midlands League opponents didn’t wilt, although substitute Cawley did hit a post with a 20 yard effort with 15 minutes left.
So it took a penalty shoot-out to split the sides and win WGC a home tie with fellow Southern League Div 1 Central outfit London Lions – over whom they hold a slender 1-0 victory this season – in the competition’s next round.
WGC: Brazil, Bell (Bruno 63), Adeoti, Gothard, Ejjayha, Kirwan, Corbit (Jones 49), Read (Cawley 63), Lines, Stevenson, Mendes (Eadie 82). Sub:- Boxer (not used).
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