WESTBURY fully deserved a share of the points away to 3rd placed Cribbs, but all they got for their efforts was a solitary goal which ended the recent scoring drought.
United’s team was very young and full of energy, none more so than the surprise midfield pairing of Adam James and Nick Taylor (who both ran themselves ragged for the whole game) and Simon Millard in a new position at sweeper.
After a quiet opening the hosts got the opening goal in fortuitous circumstances on 14 minutes; keeper Alex Shaftoe called to claim a corner kick, however Nathan Hallett chose to head the ball away and it fell to Jordan Yeo who swung it back into the box where Westbury were unlucky to see it glance off Millard’s head and drift past Shaftoe!
United, with James and Taylor to the fore, burst forward in several counter attacks. Wayne Wheeler shot an 18 yarder just over at the end of one move before Taylor stretched to meet Mark Young’s cross but couldn’t find the target.
Shaftoe did well to claim the ball when Hallett miskicked a clearance at a Yeo corner kick, before erring with a poor punch that fell to Ryan McKillop whose 30 yard lob went narrowly wide. Westbury immediately broke forward and James fired a fine 25 yarder that flew wide.
The play continued to be entertaining and end-to- end after half-time with Shaftoe and home keeper Mike Turner having to make fine saves within the opening 5 minutes; Shaftoe from Yeo’s 20 yard strike and Turner when he got on the end of a brilliant move between James and Ally Bradley. Turner then had to be alert to deny Wheeler and James who both tried their luck from long range.
Cribbs opened up a barely deserved 2-0 lead on 64 when Millard fouled Dave Gilroy and the forward floated his resulting free kick beyond Shaftoe and into the net.
Westbury reduced their arrears with a fully merited goal on 70. Bradley produced another good piece of play on the right and swung in a cross that was met by a great finish by Wheeler!
United continued to attack in search of an equaliser and came very close when Turner saved well to prevent Charlie Walton scoring, before showing good hands to hold Young’s free kick.
The hosts sealed their victory with 10 minutes remaining when Dave Pettitt latched onto a loose ball to strike a fine half volley past Shaftoe, but still Westbury kept going and a clever pass by Joe Moloney sent Young into a one-on-one with Turner who again did well to prevent a thrilling finale!
*STAR MEN – Mike Turner (Cribbs) and Adam James (Westbury United)
TEAM – Alex Shaftoe, Ally Bradley, Joe Edwards, Nathan Hallett-Young, Nick Taylor, Adam James, Charlie Walton, Wayne Wheeler, Simon Millard, Mark Young, Nathan Hallett
SUBS – Joe Moloney (used) Connor McKay, Joe Murray, Matty Bown (unused)
