A red card proved crucial as Welwyn Garden City fell to defeat in the Herts Charity Cup final against Hadley.
Having gone behind in just 64 seconds, the Citizens battled back to take a 2-1 lead with six minutes of the first half remaining, thanks to goals from Reece Cameron and Lewis Jones.
But Carlos Velasco was sent off three minutes later and Hadley made they pay after the break, going on to win 4-2.
Finley Aldridge got a hat-trick for them with Hedley Ogbebor getting the other.
Welwyn Garden City had been idle for coming up to two weeks, their final league game being a 3-0 win at home to Kidlington on April 26.
Manager Marc Weatherstone made four changes from that match,
Carlos Velasco, Lewis Taaffe, Eddie Corbit and Reece Cameron were the quartet to come in.
Jed Ejjayha, Ryan Kirwan and Dennis Halliday moved to the bench while Matty Whichelow was missing altogether.
Hadley had played a few days later after the last regular season game, and eight days before this final, with a 5-0 loss at Berkhamsted in the play-off semi-final.
Charlie Taylor, Bobby Webb and Finlay Aldridge coming in for Ben Goode, Isaac Stones and Jordan Edwards.
For an end of season game, the first half had plenty to entertain the crowd, and a goal in 64 seconds was the perfect start.
It was a horror show though for Welwyn, and for Charlie McDonald.
A long ball forward seemed to be easy for the on-loan midfielder but his attempted header back to Joe Welch was woefully short and Aldridge nipped in to lob it over the keeper.
Max Jessop then nipped in on four minutes, getting on the end of an Aldridge header and although the ball ended up in the net, the former Welwyn man was offside.
In between that Jones had sent a header over and Welwyn did have some good moments going forward, although their defending still had many hiding behind their hands.
Aldridge should have scored with a free header that he failed to connect properly with.
And Welwyn made Hadley pay with two goals in nine minutes.
The first was delivered by Corbit from a free-kick on the left which found Jones deep on the far side.
His header back across was controlled by Cameron and from the near post, he hooked a volley into the far side.
It got better nine minutes later when a low cross from the right was dummied in the middle and ran through to jones.
He guided it back the way it came and away from the diving Charlie Taylor.
It was some turnaround after some less-than-comfortable defending but the momentum flicked back towards Hadley when Velasco was sent off for a high foot, catching Cameron Ferguson.
It was reckless and even without malice, the dismissal was justified.
It meant a change in the flow of the game and Hadley could have been level in the first two minutes of the second half.
First Aldridge got behind Bradley Gothard for the first time all game, Welch pushing it behind, and then, from the corner, the ball wouldn't sit for Jessop and Aiden Read nipped in.
Caoilan McGettigan also pulled a shot wide but another big moment arrived on 62 minutes.
Jones pinged a lovely cross-field ball to the far side of the box where Taaffe was onside.
His control was good and so was the volley that followed, but Taylor's save was equal to it, if not better, throwing a hand up to divert it behind.
A minute later Hadley were level.
They broke after clearing the corner with the ball pushed out to McGettigan on the left.
He was able to slide it into the middle, cutting out Welch and allowing Aldridge the simple tap-in.
There was nothing simple about the next goal but it was a good one, thumped from the edge of the area by Ogbebor and sent across goal and into the corner.
Welwyn did push for another equaliser, even a man short, but when Corbit misplaced a pass, they were caught on the break.
A thump forward found Aldridge and he lobbed it over Welch to complete his hatr-trick and seal the cup success.
Herts Charity Cup final match facts
Welwyn Garden City (2) 2 Hadley (1) 4
Welwyn Garden City: Welch, Otseh-Taiwo, Eadie, McDonald, Read, Gothard, Velasco, Corbit, Cameron (Halliday 76), Jones, Taaffe.
Subs (not used): Poku, Ejjayha, Kirwan, Weatherstone.
Goals: Cameron 30, Jones 39
Booked: McDonald 21, Read
Sent-off: Velasco 42
Hadley: Taylor, Webb (Gbio 80), Ismail, Jessop, Ogbebor, Rosemin, Ferguson (Edwards 57), Hayes, Aldridge (Koduah 86), McGettigan, Effa (Zidouemba 82).
Subs (not used): Alfieri.
Goals: Aldridge 2, 63, 85 Ogbebor 71
Booked:
Referee: Joanne Horwood (Hemel Hempstead)
Added time: 3+5
Attendance: 224
