Oxfordshire is proving a happy hunting ground for Welwyn Garden City after they picked up their second Southern League win of the season at Thame United.

Their first came at the end of August with a 2-0 success at Kidlington.

This was much closer, a solitary Brad Wadkins goal handing them a 1-0 win and lifting them three places up the Division One Central table to the relative comfort of 13th.

Manager Marc Weatherstone made two changes for this clash, Charlie Crowley returning in goal for Donnabhan Green, who sustained a shin injury in the controversial third Bedford Town goal one week earlier.

Ethan Kessel was recalled to midfield for Adam Pollock, who dropped to the bench.

Thame had the game’s first effort in four minutes but home forward Wikto Makowski skied his shot over after some impressive approach work.

WGC picked up an early booking for Zac Brown as he pulled back Thame winger Ngathe Jordy by the arm, before strong running by Cyrus Babaie helped him keep a long ball in.

He set up Bailey Stevenson but his shot was straight at home keeper Archie Davis.

WGC struck what turned out to be the winner on 16 minutes with a beautifully worked goal.

Central defender James Kaloczi, who had an outstanding game in sky blue for the Citizens, found Babaie with a beautifully judged long ball.

Babaie in turn found Kessel and his low cross was met by Wadkins, coming in to slot home his sixth of the campaign.

Wadkins then became WGC’s second booking on the half-hour, for a foul in midfield.

Thame were always dangerous on the break and they clipped the far post on 31 minutes, when Jayden Carbon’s effort across goal couldn’t find a home player to get a vital touch.

But WGC were almost two goals to the good at half-time.

Stevenson had a shot blocked, it rebound to Babaie and his effort clipped off Thame’s Pierce MacNamara and was looking to be heading in until Davis produced a fine save.

Stevenson then found himself in a glorious shooting position after a good run down the left by Babaie, but the ball got stuck under the forward’s feet and he fired the chance against a defender.

The Citizens were struck a big blow early in the second-half when Wadkins went down, seemingly twisting his knee in an attempted challenge.

It was a recurrence of an old injury and he had to be helped from the field, replaced by Henry Jones.

Jones looked to be fouled in the build-up to WGC’s best second-half chance soon after he came on, but the ball still ran through for Stevenson.

He couldn’t get enough purchase on a header over Davis and the keeper managed to tip it over the bar.

Much of the Citizens’ creativity went with the departure of the influential Wadkins and they escaped when big home defender, Steven Sylvester-Anudua, put a close-range header over the bar in a series of home corners.

Crowley had a relatively quiet afternoon until the closing quarter but with the home side pressing for an equaliser, he pulled off an excellent save to tip Jayden Carbon’s effort around the post with eight minutes left.

Pollock replaced Stevenson for the closing stages and in WGC’s last meaningful effort of the game, Babaie headed wide after Jones had done the spadework.

Thame’s MacNamara had a shot deflected over Crowley’s crossbar in the nine minutes of stoppage time but WGC managed to survive some narrow squeaks to take the three points.

WGC: Crowley, Brown (Harris 35), Kaloczi, Olagunju, Kirwan, Mulley, Kessel, Wadkins (Jones 58), Stevenson (Pollock 84), Babaie, Wynter.

Subs (not used): Martins, Tring.