Four wins from five have sent excitement levels through the roof at Welwyn Garden City - as they close in on the Southern League Division One Central play-offs.

The Citizens beat Hadley 2-1, the side that put the only blot on their record over the last five games, to move to two points behind the play-off places.

They still have games in hand too, starting with league leaders Biggleswade Town on Thursday, but with a little more than two weeks to go, only fatigue might able to derail the WGC express.

This one, revenge for the 3-2 loss on Easter Monday, had nothing of the runaway and crushing 6-1 victory over Kings Langley on Saturday, three days earlier.

It was a tight, hard fought contest with WGC dominating the opening half and exchanges and leading 2-0 at the break.

However, Hadley were much improved in the second 45 minutes, coming back very strongly and pulling one back with five minutes to go.

In the end, the Citizens prevailed, to continue the impetus for Marc Weatherstone’s side going into the final five games.

The manager had Gucci Soulya-Osekanongo unavailable for this game, Manny Yeboah coming in, while Charlie Crowley was back in goal in place of Donnabhan Green.

Spectators had barely reached their seats before WGC were ahead.

Inside two minutes, a miskick in the Hadley defence let Cyrus Babaie through and he slipped the Clarets ahead from close range.

Hadley were clearly stunned and attempted to retrieve the situation when ex-WGC man Jay Rolfe followed in on his own long throw, to drive across the home goalmouth, Jordan Edwards flashing a header over Crowley’s crossbar.

But on 18 minutes, WGC had doubled their lead.

Lynton Goss got the better of another ex-Citizen in Dylan Ebengo and laid it off to Babaie.

He slipped inside and brought a diving save from Hadley’s Charlie Taylor.

The keeper couldn’t hold it though and it came out to Yeboah who drove home a low effort for 2-0.

Welwyn were now firmly in the ascendancy and a fine move begun by James Mulley and Goss saw Dernell Wynter cross to the far post, where Taylor produced a fine save to turn away skipper Brad Wadkins’ placed header.

They still had to be alert though and on the stroke of half-time, Yasin Boodhoo made an outstanding block on the line thwart a Cameron Ferguson free-kick.

WGC began the second-half on the front foot and moments after the restart, Ryan Kirwan produced a fine interception and pass to put Babaie away, but he shot a good chance of a third past the post.

Hadley keeper Taylor was then called on to make an outstanding save to claw black another Babaie effort after the WGC forward had been put away again, this time by a fine Yeboah pass.

But as the game entered its final half-hour, Hadley’s introduction of big striker Peter Rosemin seemed to spark greater danger in their play.

Just past the hour, Rosemin crossed and last week’s hat-trick hero for the visitors, Isaac Stones flashed in a header that clipped the WGC crossbar on its way over.

Eight minutes later, the ball was worked out to Stones 20 yards out and his well struck effort, through a crowded area, struck the far post.

WGC replaced Yeboah with Bailey Stevenson for the closing stages, but six minutes from the end, Hadley got on the scoresheet from the penalty spot.

Keeper Crowley got down to a low Rosemin shot and stopped it, but couldn’t hold it.

When the ball ran loose, Rosemin was knocked over in the ensuing scramble and skipper Luke Alfano despatched his spot-kick.

An anxious finale awaited but in the end it was WGC who went close to  third.

Firstly, Wynter struck a powerful 20 yarder that Taylor again saved well and then a fine ball from Goss in stoppage time, put substitute Stevenson in, but he fired the chance of a more emphatic final score wide.

WGC: Crowley, Mulley, Boodhoo, Harris, Kirwan, McDonald, Yeboah (Stevenson 75), Wadkins, Wynter, Goss, Babaie (Vasey 87).

Subs (not used): Steel, Jones, Bryant.