Welwyn Garden City scored their first win of the new season with a 2-0 success at old Spartan South Midlands League rivals London Colney.
City were minus half-a dozen players at cotlandswick who are likely to be in Adam Fisher’s first-team squad for their Southern League opener on August 18.
But the Citizens did include new signing Josh Holmes from Biggleswade FC in the heart of the defence alongside Dave Corran while ex-Arlesey Town man, Tony Williams, was given another outing on the left wing.
It was another new capture though, Adam Hunt, who was first into the action, slipping past a couple of challenges before blazing high over the Colney crossbar.
Williams then slipped a neat pass through to Jon Clements but the top scorer’s cross to the far post was just out of reach of trialist Dan Ferrigno.
London Colney’s first serious attack didn’t materialize until the half-hour mark, but a strong cross-shot was safely held by new WGC keeper Dan Green.
And moments later, the Citizens missed the best opening of the first-half, when another good Clements cross was stabbed wide by Brett O’Connor.
Hunt set up Ben Spaul only for him to be denied by ex-City keeper Jack Metcalfe and then Clements fired over the top as the Citizens closed a half they had dominated on top.
Manager Fisher introduced Fabian Brown-Johnson, another trialist, as well as George Ironton and Dan Bond for the second-half but it was Green made his best save of the game, timing his run perfectly to snatch the ball off the feet off a home forward.
Josh Bronti also appeared as a substitute after the break and he fired WGC ahead from the penalty spot after Corran was adjudged to have been pushed in the area at a corner.
Three minutes later the Citizens had doubled their advantage.
Brown-Johnson showed great speed in outpacing the home defence down the left, but over-hit his cross.
However, Bond retrieved it and found Ironton, who took it down and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.
City go to Oxhey Jets on Wednesday while they host Hertford Town at the Hertfordshire Sports Village on Saturday.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here