Wednesday 9th September. TOOLSTATION LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Westbury United 4 – Chipping Sodbury 0
WESTBURY made it 4 points from their opening two matches with this easy victory at Meadow Lane.
This was an excellent all round team performance, commanding goalkeeping, strong defending, quality midfield play and incisive attacking.
United could have led 5-0 by 25 minutes but had to settle for 2-0 courtesy of a confident finish by Callum Demkiv on 6 minutes after a lovely through ball and Dan Price’s well directed header from Jack Biddescombe’s corner on 18.
Further chances went begging when Demkiv latched onto Joe Stradling’s through ball, but was flagged offside. Jordan Pinder played a fine ball to Jake Hutchings, whose cross was met by Josh Ferguson, with the ball going over the bar.
In that opening period Biddescombe also fizzed a low strike wide, Ferguson forced Chris Simsek into a fine save and Demkiv set up Stradling whose first time shot cannoned off a post.
The Sods came more into the game towards half time but could only muster a few hopeful attempts through Nathan Brown and Josh Pondolfino.
The visitors’ improvement continued after the break and they really should have pulled a goal back in the opening stages.
Jordan Clark’s fine play and cross just eluded Pondolfino’s outstretched leg, then another excellent Clark cross found Kalum Youngsam unmarked in the 6 yard box, but he somehow fired over the bar!
At the other end, Demkiv outpaced his marker only to find Simsek in good form, then Sodbury attacked from which Frankie Grievesen shot narrowly wide. Another quick counter attack by the hosts then made the game safe, with Stradling doing brilliantly to find Demkiv who set up Pinder and he passed the ball into the net for 3-0.
Pinder did well to block a free kick, then Westbury continued to threaten more goals and trickery by Biddescombe inside the penalty area led to him being fouled and a spot kick awarded, which was converted by Demkiv for his third goal in 2 matches.
Mark Bowden made his only save of the night to deny Pondolfino before his opposite number, Simsek, made a few more excellent stops to deny Demkiv a hattrick and Jamie Jordan a rare header at a corner.
STAR MAN ; Callum Demkiv. TEAM ; Mark Bowden, Jamie Gregory, Jake Hutchings, Scott Gregory, Dan Price, Jordan Pinder, Josh Ferguson, Ben Griffiths, Joe Stradling, Callum Demkiv, Jack Biddescombe. SUBS ; Will Thomson, Jamie Jordan, Mark Robinson (used) Ricky Hulbert, Steve Hulbert (unused)
Caption : Jordan Pinder
