Match report: Cambridge City 0-1 Welwyn Garden City

Cambridge City's pre-season concluded on Saturday afternoon when Welwyn Garden City came to Sawston. City were coming into the game on the back of the late 2-1 win against Bury Town last weekend. The Citizens' last result was also last week, a 5-2 defeat to Hanworth Villa. Both teams will play at the same level this season, City in the Isthmian League Division One North and Welwyn Garden City in the Southern League Division One Central.

City started the quickest of the two. A corner was whipped in by Jack Thompson after two minutes, and Ryan Fryatt got a good connection but he headed over the bar. Two minutes later, another corner by Lewis Hayes eventually led to a cross by Travis Dodsworth, Fryatt getting to the cross again but heading over once more.

Not many chances followed, but the next major chance fell the way of the visitors. After sustained pressure from City, Welwyn won a free-kick in a promising position, and Brad Dixon-Smith fired in a cross and Ryan Hayes sent in a shot that deflected off a defender and over the head of James Philp and into the net.

A minute later, City looked to immediately hit back. Thompson's free-kick was played in and Fryatt climbed up well to plant a header just over. Then Jayden Randell fired a header wide from another Thompson free-kick after 22 minutes. Welwyn then broke away after 37 minutes with Kendall Gyamfi beating Randell and forcing a smart near-post save from Philp.

City then had a corner kick four minutes from half time. Thompson took the corner, which was punched away by Connor Sansom, and Fryatt got to another cross and, once again, headed wide after a promising attack.

Welwyn started the second half slightly better of the two; Gyamfi was put through after 52 minutes but sent his strike off the foot of the far post. City then had a corner after 66 minutes. It was taken short to Charlie Norman, who over hit his cross, and it then lead to Randell missing an effort from a second cross.

With ten minutes left, City had a free-kick, which Alex Warman took. It flew into the penalty area and both Fletcher Toll and Charlie Lewis both missed their connections as the ball trickled out for a goal kick. Welwyn looked for a break with 88 minutes played. Luca Gordon broke down the right-hand side while seeking to finish the game off. Randell got the better of a Welwyn Trialist on the edge of the penalty area to snuff out the danger.

Reece Harris then had a free-kick right at the end. As the ball was fired in, a goalmouth scramble followed which saw Erin Amu shoot wide from close range. The full-time whistle blew soon after and City's three-match unbeaten run came to an end. City's pre-season ended in defeat, and now the Lilywhites will look to next weekend, where the real business begins as they travel to Lowestoft Town in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round.

Many thanks to Connor Taylor Creek for the match report.