Welwyn Garden City enjoyed a morale-boosting pre-season win in their second game of preparation for the new season.
The 3-2 success was their first win over manager Marc Weatherstone’s former side, Wingate & Finchley, against whom they play a regular warm-up game pre-season.
Their hosts are a step higher than the Citizens, playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division, but after being pegged back twice, City got their noses in front one last time.
Eddie Corbit got WGC off to a good start when he latched onto a ball down the right and raced through the Wingate defence to slip home the opener.
The north Londoners equalised in a scramble, the ball being turned home from almost on the goal line.
But just before the break, WGC restored their lead with a fine goal.
Lewis Jones produced a defence-splitting pass to find the Citizens’ new capture Steve Cawley and the close season signing from Potters Bar Town turned it home without fuss.
In the second-half, boss Weatherstone fielded a side littered with trialists, with only Jed Ejjayha and Bailey Stevenson staying on to play the full 90 minutes.
But despite that, WGC gave a good account of themselves.
Wingate did get back on level terms a second time, a clumsy challenge from Aiden Read giving them a penalty, but within moments WGC were ahead again for a third time, a trialist turning home on the far post for a 3-2 lead that they held until the end.
The result had followed a 2-1 loss in their opening friendly, another trialist on target at Bowers & Pitsea.
WGC starting XI v Wingate: D.Green, Ejjayha, trialist, Gothard, trialist, Corbit, trialist, Jones, Taaffe, Stevenson, Cawley.
