Wed. 9th October. Wilts Prem. Shield. Westbury Utd 4 Royal Wootton Bassett 1.
An entertaining cup tie at a rain-soaked Meadow Lane as Westbury booked their place in the next round of this revamped competition for clubs at Step 5 and above.
Both sides played some excellent football and created chances, as well as being denied opportunities by good defending.
Westbury were first to threaten via the pace of Callums Demkiv and Ham, with the latter shooting wide. The visitors’ first opening fell to another Callum (Parsons) whose shot was well held by Ed Baldy.
Dan Jordan and Matt Jones stood strong to keep Bassett at bay and their work enabled the hosts to get on top. Jordan Pinder had a shot saved by Declan Lehmann, then Lehmann did well again to deny Mark Robinson and in a subsequent scramble, Ham slipped and Pinder hit the bar. United’s pace was a continual threat and Demkiv played in Robinson who found Lehmann in fine form again. As Bassett began to get a foothold, Parsons received the ball from Terrence Bohane and forced Baldy to save another accurate attempt. Play was now switching from end to end. Steve Hulbert’s driving run led to Demkiv firing just wide, then Bohane showed good skill to turn and shoot from the edge of the box, but it was straight at Baldy.
With half time approaching, Westbury took the lead. Ryan Bole swung in a wicked corner and Matt Jones headed in at the far post. It was almost 2-0 immediately before the break when Will Stead and Robinson combined, only for Robinson’s skidding cross to be cut out by a defender.
A reshuffle at half time saw Jones replaced by Joe Stradling and Steve Hulbert move into the back line.
The match continued in the same vein with plenty of fine moves both ways. Demkiv was again just beaten to the ball by a defender after good play by Ham and Robinson. Then at the other end, Steven Yeardley struck a free kick narrowly wide.
Stead played the ball to Jason Henley and he helped it on to Ham, whose brilliant cross was wasted with nobody in the box. Stead then erred near the halfway line, allowing Bassett to break and Baldy did well to save Giovanni Wroca’s strike.
Westbury doubled their lead in great style on 63 with a quick passing move between Demkiv and Stradling leading to Stradling finishing cleverly.
The match was by no means won at this point and Dan Jordan got his body in the way of a powerful effort by Steve Shaw. United then made it safe with their 3rd goal on 78 when Stead played a great ball into the path of the onrushing Demkiv, who took a touch and finished well.
Another excellent goal made it 4-0 on 85 when Robinson, whose all-round play merited more than assists, broke down the right and passed to Demkiv who then set up Sam Jordan to apply the finishing touch.
Late on, Parsons, blasted in a screamer to notch Bassett’s deserved goal. Then with time running out, the final action of note saw Baldy save from Bennett.
*Star man; Mark Robinson. Team ; Ed Baldy, Jason Henley, Ryan Bole, Dan Jordan, Matt Jones, Steve Hulbert, Jordan Pinder, Will Stead, Mark Robinson, Callum Ham, Callum Demkiv. Subs ; Joe Stradling, Joe Kirkpatrick, Sam Jordan (used) Ricky Hulbert, Jamie Jordan (unused).
