Welwyn Garden City shared another five goals in the space of four days - but this time they came out on the lesser end of the final score away to Harlow Town.

The Citizens had beaten Didcot Town 3-2 on their own ground on Saturday but this time a double from Jordan Watson proved merely consolation.

Manager Nick Ironton was not happy with the three they conceded, all coming from set-pieces, and he implored his side to "defend better" in their next game,

Certainly it took Welwyn time to adjust to Harlow’s artificial 3G surface at the start of the game, when the wet conditions were at their best.

Keeper Charlie Crowley made a good close-in stop from the home side’s Robbie Rees on five minutes and then the WGC stopper had to tip away a cross-shot from the vastly-experienced home skipper Craig Alcock, colliding with the post in doing so.

Crowley recovered after treatment, but was beaten soon afterwards when Harlow went ahead, giant central defender Josh Steele left unattended to head home a left-wing corner on 12 minutes.

A fine long-range pass from Lee Close gave Cyrus Babaie the first glimpse of a WGC chance but the young forward was crowded out by the home defence.

The Citizens began to improve, Jordan Kinoshi shooting into the side netting before they created an equaliser on 27 minutes, the in-form Carl Mensah, scorer of four goals in recent games, turned creator with a slick pass inside for Watson to run onto, hold off a couple of challenges and drive low into the opposite corner.

Harlow replied with a fierce drive from Rees that flew just past Crowley’s far post from distance.

Ten minutes from the break, a mazy run and fine low cross from Kinoshi just couldn’t be reached by Babaie at full stretch, on the far post.

Dave Keenleyside pulled off a fine tackle in his own area to foil Harlow after Watson had carelessly given the ball away facing his own area at the start of the half, but then Keenleyside took a more familiar role with a free-kick that just cleared the Harlow posts, after Watson had been floored by Steele.

Just past the hour WGC seemed to have had a massive let off, when Maagbe netted on the back post from a left-wing cross. But as Harlow celebrated, referee Bailey consulted his assistant, who had a flag up for offside and disallowed the goal.

It was scarcely a reprieve. WGC immediately gave away a free-kick on the left, before they could regroup. It was swung over and Steele buried his second close-in header, to restore his side’s lead.

WGC introduced Ari Krasniqi and Josh Yoane for Kinoshi and Close and Jay Rolfe came forward to strike a low daisy-cutter across the wet surface, but only to see home keeper Tom Middlehurst save.

Then with six minutes left, Crowley shot out of goal to send Maagbe tumbling just inside the area and the referee was left with little option but to award a penalty.

Alcock took it and although Crowley made a fine stop, the foot race to the rebound was won by Alcock to make it 3-1.

As the game neared stoppage time, Yoane came forward to drive a powerful shot through a crowded area. Harlow blocked it, but couldn’t clear and Watson pounced to crash in his third goal in two games.

Sadly for the Citizens, it came too late to affect the final outcome.

WGC: Crowley, Close (Yoane 73), Mensah, Rolfe, Sexton, Walklin, Keenleyside, Doherty, Babaie, Watson, Kinoshi (Krasniqi 69).