Lge (H)
Lost 2-3
(H/T 0-1)
League leaders AFC Welwyn arrived at Brunting Rd facing a very different Magpies line-up that lost to them 4-0 away in early September. Moulton were still without top scorer Nat Ansu out with a hamstring injury and Dan Camacho took the number 9 shirt. The game got off to a poor start for the home side when Welwyn took the lead after only 2 minutes following a hotly disputed corner given by the referee and from the resulting kick Dan Sears rose un-challenged 10 yards out to power a header into the roof of the net. The Magpies responded and when Camacho was fouled on the edge of the box Lewis Isom saw the free kick deflected out for a corner. Despite the early set back Moulton worked their way back in to the match although during the middle part of the half neither side threatened but when Damian Osiomoejikhian got clear on the left he was floored by an agricultural challenge from goal scorer Sears who was deservedly shown a yellow card. The Romans should have gone further ahead after 34 minutes but Jordan Brown made a complete hash of a free header and the ball went well wide but as the game went into first half injury time Brown did look like he had scored but Dante Grey popped up to clear the goal bound shot off the line, and right on the break skipper Andy Hall had to leave the field injured and was replaced by Derek Okoye.
HALF TIME MOULTON 0 AFC WELWYN 1
Moulton dominated proceedings early on in the second half and when Grey and Matty Long combined the latter’s cross was hit narrowly wide by Okoye, and then Long shot just over after good work by Keiran Ashman. Okoye forced a corner not long after and from Isom’s kick Osoimoejikhian’s header was destined for the top corner but somehow a visiting defender managed to keep it out. The early pressure from the home side was dulled when Welwyn increased their lead ,Brown escaped his marker before finishing clinically from 12 yards, but the Magpies still plugged away and Okoye had a half chance but pulled his left foot shot wide of the target. The visitors looked to have put the game to bed with 66 minutes on the clock when Kendal Ata-Gyamfi made it 3-0, but still the home side plugged away and Osoimoejikhian saw another goal bound header blocked by a Welwyn defender. With 15 or so minutes left on the clock Long and Ashman were replaced by Pierre N’Golo and Jude Goodacre and within a few minutes the change proved positive when Adam Dicks and Okoye were involved N’GOLO got clear on the right and outpaced the Roman’s defence before slotting the ball just inside the far post. This stirred up the crowd and the players and with a minute left of normal time a second goal arrived, Isom swung over a corner from the left, Josh Melling won the initial header and as the ball bobbled around in the box OSOIMOEJIOKHIAN reacted and found the net, but despite being on top for the remainder of the game the Magpies couldn’t force an equaliser. A valiant effort by the home side with little to choose between the teams with the exception of Welwyn taking their chances and Moulton not during crucial times of the match.
FINAL SCORE MOULTON 2 FC WELWYN 3
TEAM Vallance, Dicks, Melling, Grey, Osoimoejiokhian, Hall (Okoye 44), White, Ashman (Goodacre 74), Long (N;Golo 73) Camacho, Isom.
Sub not used Mortimer

Press box man of the match Damian Osoimoejiokhian

Editor - Steve Alibone