Third Division
Westfield Reserves 7 Pensford Reserves 1
Saturday, 17 September 2005
Westfield with a few players injured and missing went into this match able to give starting positions for the 1st time this season to Josham, Matt Lake and Brooks.
Westfield started the match strongly and were forcing Pensford back with some good attacking play with Cottle and Josham involved in most of it. Westfield were passing the ball around neatly and quickly with J Lake and Reeves in the center of midfield winning a lot of good possession and using it well but the final ball just seemed to be going astray and Pensford were managing to keep their goal intact.
After 20 mins and with Westfield growing increasingly more frustrated the goal they had been searching for arrived with Matt Lake being released down the right flank and with only Cottle to hit in the penalty box he then put over a pin-point cross that Cottle only had to tap into the net.
This goal seemed to settle Westfield and they really started to get moving with some good inter-play and movement and with Pensford still reeling from the 1st goal Jamie Lake added to their misery 5 mins later with a shot that the Pensford goalie couldn?t hold and Lake was alert enough to follow it up and tap it home for his 1st of the season and Westfield 2nd.
Pensford to their credit despite all this Westfield pressure continued to battle on and Rawlings, Cook, Croker and Sketch at the back all had to keep their wits about them and if it wasn?t for a spectacular goaline clearance from J Lake they would have pulled one back.
After this scare Westfield again surged forward and this time it was Reeves who shot from 20yds and despite getting a hand to the shot the Pensford keeper could only palm it in so Westfield went 3-0 up. Westfield were firing on all cylinders now and after 35 mins it was the turn of Brooks to fire home on the half volley after some good work by Cottle.
Pensford were shell-shocked and with 5 mins of the half remaining Matt Lake made their misery even worse when he delivered another pin-point cross this time to Josham who gleefully fired in from close range for Westfield to go in at halftime for the 2nd week running 5-0 up.
At halftime Westfield made one change with Reeves who had been outstanding again being taken off with a slight knock and he was replaced with Lines who immediately was straight into action in the center of midfield. Pensford had nothing to lose and looked a much more determined outfit in the 2nd half and for 10 mins they looked maybe the likelier to score but Tucker in the Westfield goal was again having another excellent game and Westfield weathered the storm.
After an hour had gone Bridges was introduced in place of Matt Lake for Westfield for his 1st start of the season after a long injury and took to the game as though he had never been away with his tough tackling and aggressive style of play.
With Pensford again defending resolutely it took a special goal from Westfield to increase their lead and it was Lines who scored it with a 25yd cracker after some good build up play from Cook and Josham.
70 mins had gone when Pensford produced an a attack down their right hand side and a viciously deflected cross from their winger fooled the Westfield defence and the ball fell perfectly for their forward to tap home to reduce the Westfields lead to 6-1.
Westfield came back well from this minor setback and after 75 mins soon increased their advantage to 6 goals again when Cottle dummied a Josham cross allowing Brooks to arrive at the far post and hammer home his 2nd.
The game then became a bit of a free for all with Westfield pushing players on at will and Sketch, Brooks and Rawlings all had chances to increase Westfield s lead and even Cradock who had been introduced for the last 10 mins in place of the tiring Josham had a chance to increase their lead but no other goals followed and Westfield ran out comfortable 7-1 winners against a young hard working Pensford side.
Mom Darren Brooks
Neil Cradock |
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