Welwyn GC lose 2-1 at Thame after penalty decision

For the second successive Saturday, a bizarre incident knocked WGC out of their stride and saw them lose a game which they were leading to slip to a 2-1 defeat.

Last week, a freak goal from a defender inside his own half caused the Citizens to lose their rhythm against high-flying Winslow and they were eventually beaten 2-1.

This time a strange, unusual penalty decision for handball changed the game and from that point, five minutes after the restart of the second half, WGC badly lost their way.

The Citizens suffered a 2-1 defeat away at Thame (Image: Welwyn GC)

Again in bizarre circumstances, WGC were thinking they were taking a goal kick.

Keeper Connor Sansom kicked the ball across to the area to stand-in skipper Keiran Gauthier instead of rolling it.

Under a new rule, implemented this season, this meant the ball was in play.

When Gauthier picked it up to replace it, referee Gocek, after consulting his assistant, awarded Thame a spot-kick to the fury and consternation of the entire WGC team.

When order was restored, top scorer Harry Alexander fired the Oxfordshire side level with the penalty.

WGC never recovered from the blow and for the final half-hour of this game probably gave their worst League showing since the start of the season, not having a single effort on the Thame goal in the remaining 40 minutes.

Thame, on the other hand, came on strongly in the closing stages and seven minutes from the end, substitute Edwin Daffern got away down

the left to pull the ball back for Alexander to crash home his second of the game, for the three points.

It was all very different before the break.

Welwyn Garden City led the match before the hosts responded (Image: Welwyn GC)

WGC were the better side and turned around deservedly 1-0 ahead.

They missed a glorious chance to go ahead in eight minutes, Tyreece Robertson latching onto a misplaced Thame pass to race clear and find himself clean in on goal, but he badly scuffed his shot and Thame were reprieved.

Mr Gocek played a good advantage when Luis Cantello was flattened after a good run, allowing Junior Moses in for a clear shot on goal, but he pulled it poorly wide.

Then on 37 minutes, WGC were ahead with a fine team goal.

Reece Mosanya, at left-back, began it.

The ball was fed inside to Ryan Hayes, who produced a lovely turn to lose his marker and play Malik Nosike into the area for him to waltz around home keeper James Callan and lay the ball into empty net.

Things looked rosy for WGC at that stage with the prospect of another win to further help them up the table, but again bizarre circumstances in the second half again rocked them completely, as they slipped to what was their third league defeat of the campaign.

WGC: Sansom, Ntege, Impey, Gauthier, Mosanya (Dixon-Smith 88), Cantello (Barrett 85), Nosike, Robertson (Ralfe 62), Hayes (Sippetts 87), Moses, Mendes (Rookard 71).