Two goals in the last nine minutes kept Welwyn Garden City's promotion hopes on track and hammered another nail in the coffin of Colney Heath.

Dave Keenleyside got the important breakthrough and Yemi Adelani added the finishing touch six minutes later in a 2-0 success at the Recreation Ground.

There could have been more as Colney's brave resistance crumbled, George Ironton clipping the top of the bar with one of them, but there was relief mixed among the elation as they racked up an 11th game without defeat.

For the Magpies though, their time in the Southern League is coming to an end after just one year. It is not for the want of trying but their late season revival is proving to be too little too late.

Both sides made three changes from their previous outings.

Emmanuel Adebiyi, Kyle Rahho and Elias Nichols came in for Colney with Chris Griffin, Aaron Hudson and Matthew Walsh the ones missing from the win over Aylesbury United.

For the Citizens the trio coming in were Ben Spaul, Cyrus Babaie and Matty Campbell-Mhlope with Adelani, Jay Rolfe and Jon Clements stepping aside.

The latter was still on the bench against his former club though despite a slight groin strain.

They could have done with his shooting boots in a first half that failed to ignite the passions of the large crowd.

Welwyn had all the chances but Tiernan Parker in the home goal did not have to make a save.

He was beaten once but Campbell-Mhlope, the chief culprit for many of the visitors' wayward attempts, was ruled offside.

Ironton also sent one drifting across goal and wide while the nearest they came bar the disallowed goal was a flicked header by Lee Close on a corner that ran across the face of the net and wide.

Colney spent most of the half defending with Yasin Boodhoo, named the Magpies' player of the month for January prior to the start, leading by example again.

They did cough up one glorious opportunity when Shaquille Ishmael got in down the right and pulled back for George Devine to hit.

The star striker snatched at the ball though and screwed it wide of the far post.

Manager Ant Burns would have been far happier than counterpart Nick Ironton with the position of the contest at the interval and would have been looking to continue to strangle the creative impetus of WGC.

The City boss emerged during the break with Clements and Adelani seemingly being told to give it five minutes.

It was seven in fact before the former hero returned to pitch for Babaie, a change of shirt making it a minute later than planned.

Welwyn could have been in front by then, Dave Keenleyside getting a great sight immediately after the restart but hooking it wide of target.

Adelani's introduction was another 10 minutes after Clements and he almost scored with his first touch, a shot on the turn with a defender close to him and Parker in no-man's land going wide.

It took until the 72nd minute for the first shot on target, Clements forcing Parker to push it behind, and when the corner wasn't cleared, Jordan Watson headed without power into the keeper's hands.

Watson also sent a tantalising cross just in front of an unmarked Adelani at the back post but Welwyn's strong finish meant the misses would soon be forgotten.


Colney Heath: Parker, Unsworth, Mokwenye, Adebiyi, Boodhoo, Rahho, Nichols (Sawaneh 67), Jessop, Devine, Shepherd (Brown 87), Ishmael (Walsh 79).

Subs (not used): Hudson, Lewis.

Booked: Sawaneh 74, Lovell (bench) 85, 85

Sent-off: Lovell (bench) 85


Welwyn Garden City: Crowley, Walklin, Taylor, Spaul, Close, Keenleyside, Babaie (Clements 52), Doherty, Watson (Mitchell 88), Ironton, Campbell-Mhlope (Adelani 62).

Subs (not used): Franklin, Jones.

Goals: Keenleyside 81, Adelani 87

Booked: Walklin 73, Close 74


HT: Colney Heath 0 Welwyn Garden City 0

Referee: Matthew Fletcher (Hemel Hempstead)

Attendance: 147