WATFORD exited the Herts Senior Cup at Welwyn Garden City, despite attempting a second half comeback.

The game was done and dusted in the first half as Welwyn raced to a 3-0 lead. There was to be no way back for Watford from that score line.

And so the second half proved, despite goals from Santiago Aloi and Marvin Sordell for the Hornets. It was a gallant fight back, but was too little, too late.

There was a late change in goal for Watford with Ian Joyce taking up a place between the sticks after recovering from illness.

And he didn't have long to wait for his first piece of the action. David Parkinson flew down the left wing before cutting inside and unleashing a fizzing shot that the American had to tip over the bar.

To say that the pitch was a tad on the damp side would be an understatement, as despite it being passed fit to play on at 1pm, there were still visible puddles on the turf.

Anthony McNamee was the first of the Hornets to test Simon Bartley, with a low effort that the Welwyn 'keeper had to scoop to collect.

If there had been much of a crowd, it's possible they would have been jubilant when the home side took the lead on 25 minutes.

Craig Tompkins robbed Jordan Parkes and hit a shot on the angle that wriggled past Joyce and into the back of the net.

Watford refused to drop their heads and went straight on the offensive. Marvin Sordell crossed into the box where Moses Ashikodi was lurking, but his header failed to hit the target.

Watford should have taken their chances while they could, as Welwyn then went on to double their lead. Douglas Rinaldi lost possession to Alex Kinsley, who slipped to David Parkinson.

The Welwyn man then took on Eddie Oshodi, shrugged him off and placed his shot under Joyce.

Watford then had a flurry of chances, but with the shooting somewhat wayward, the Welwyn 'keeper wasn't troubled. Parkes saw his effort fly over the bar and Santiago Aloi's effort was blocked by a sea of bodies.

With five minutes to go before the break, Craig McKay put the game out of sight when he got on the end of a corner and sent a looping header into the far top corner of the net giving Joyce no chance.

After the break, Santiago Aloi narrowed the score line after he raced onto Marvin Sordell's cut back and stroked it around Bartley. Watford were about to make a game of it.

Parkes tried to narrow the score line further, only to see his effort deflect off an array of defenders.

Piero Mingoia was then introduced for Loren Maxwell and within a matter of minutes; he played the ball through that got Watford further back into the game.

Sordell received the ball and flicked a superb effort past Bartley to lift the Horns for the final 20 minutes.

Ashikodi attempted to level the scores with ten minutes to go, but his wayward effort flew past the upright.

Sadly it wasn't to be the second Hornets comeback in as many days and eleven very muddy Watford men trudged down the tunnel on the final whistle.

WELWYN: Bartley; Dawes (c), Rispoli, Williams, Moules; McKay, Lockie, Parkinson (Bakare 75), Tompkins; Kinsley, Osei (Mason 67). Subs: Fossi, Christie, Hall.

WATFORD: Joyce; Brown, Parkes, Avinel, Oshodi (Kiernan 80); Rinaldi (c), Maxwell (Mingoia 60), Aloi, McNamee; Ashikodi, Sordell. Subs: Antal (GK), Bryan, Angus.

BOOKINGS: WELWYN; none. WATFORD; none.

SCORERS: WELWYN; Tompkins (10), Parkinson (16), Mackay (40). WATFORD; Aloi (53), Sordell (63).

REFEREE: P Taylor,