Premier Division
Welwyn Garden City 5 Langford 0
Saturday, 11 December 2004
With the Langford squad resembling a scene out of casualty, Manager Roy Ryall gave Ryan Jackson and Sam Gittins a first team debut along with first of the season appearances for Leigh Sutton, James Starling, Matt Gentle, John Shanks during this match. The reserve game scheduled for Forde Park had to be called off as Langford's deepening injury crisis meant that they were without too many players to field a side.
With the struggle to get a team together successfully accomplished it was the little matter of facing fifth placed Welwyn Garden City at their Herns Lane ground. The Reds starting eleven certainly rose to the challenge and Steve Starling so nearly gave them an early lead but his effort went just wide. The home side moved the ball around as you would expect from a more settled side but Langford hung in there and did at times play some good football of their own. Both teams however didn't really trouble the goalkeepers to any extent. The opening goal of the game came on the half hour mark when a long kick from keeper Clark found Simon Eden deep in the Langford half, he in turn found Darren Franklin on the Langford right side of the box and he showed skill and pace to eventually fire home across Kyle into far side of the goal.
The home side grew in confidence but Langford showed tenacity in defending their frequent attacks down both flanks. The last few minutes of the first half should have seen a second goal as a Louis Lancaster free kick was deflected wide by his own player and then Reds keeper Kyle did very well to deny the diminutive Simon Eden from close range.
The second half began much as first had ended but Langford were beginning to look tired very early on. Ten minutes into the second period Kyle denied Simon Eden again and from the resulting corner Martin Stickland headed home. From then on it was really a matter of how many Welwyn Garden City could accumulate and when Tawhid Juneja brought down Gomes from behind another one looked on the cards. Louis Lancaster took the kick but it lacked power and placement and Kyle was able to make a comfortable save. Nick Stillwell, making his one-hundredth appearance for Langford, will not remember it too fondly as he limped off with an injury to compound a first half booking.
A third goal did follow and it was second goal for Martin Stickland as he collected a cross field pass in space on the Langford right and lobbed the ball over the on coming Kyle. It was all the home side now and Louis Lancaster atoned for his early penalty miss with a deflected drive from the edge of the box following a twice taken short corner on eighty-five minutes. The final goal came in the dying second as Pablo Ardilles broke away from just inside the Langford half to round Kyle and slot home for his third in two games. This biggest win of the season pushed The Citizens up into fourth place but for injury hit Langford they drop down to fifteenth place and if the player crisis is not resolved soon may find them selves dropping even lower.
On Wednesday evening the Reds will be visiting Wootton Blue Cross for a North Beds Charity Cup game but as the injury crisis deepens this game must be in some doubt. Next Saturday Ruislip Manor will be the visitors' for League action in what is becoming a 'must win' game.
Welwyn Garden City
Clark: Stickland: Lancaster: Thomas: Lomas: Hutchinson: Franklin: Ardilles: Gomes: Eden: Scriven.
SUBS USED: Daniel Teixeira for Dani Gomez-Martin (79), Paul Taylor for Alex Scriven (85), Ade Osobu for Darren Franklin (86)
SUBS NOT USED: Camillo Gonzales
Langford:
Kyle: Jackson: Sutton: Stillwell: Juneja: Wilson: Gentle: Pilgrim: Goldsmith: Starling: Groves.
SUBS USED: Sam Gittins for Matt Gentle (65): John Shanks for Nick Stillwell (70): James Starling for Leigh Sutton (89).
SUBS NOT USED: Roy Ryall, Warren Grieve
GOALS
Welwyn Garden City Darren Franklin (30), Martin Stickland (55,77), Louis Lancaster (85), Pablo Ardiles (89)
Langford: none
Bookings & Sending off:
Welwyn Garden City Henry Thomas (b, 85)
Langford: Nick Stillwell (b,43)
Referee: Mr. A. Degnarain (Southgate
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