Westbury United produced one of the greatest results in their history last week, coming from two goals down to beat National League North side Oxford City 3–2 in the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round.
A dramatic last-minute winner sealed the tie at Meadow Lane, sending the White Horse Men into the Third Qualifying Round for the first time in 76 years. They will now face another National League side Farnborough Town at home, looking to make further history with another giant-killing.
Their fairytale FA Cup run has been given a huge boost with the news that the next round tie this coming Saturday, 27th September, will be shown live on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button. The kick-off is 12.30pm.
FA Cup magic
Joint manager Ricky Hulbert described the win as “something extraordinary” and praised his players for their courage and belief. Pictures of him celebrating the late goal went viral on social media after they were shared by the Football Association.
“You go into these games not really expecting to get anything, but it’s the FA Cup, it’s the magic of it,” Ricky told White Horse News. “When you’re playing against full-time sides, you’ve got to be brave. The lads gave everything, and to come back from two-down against a National League side was something extraordinary. It was an amazing win.
Live on the BBC
“And now to be chosen for live coverage on the BBC is a dream come true for the club, the players and the fans.
“Every young footballer dreams of playing on TV. I’m so chuffed for the lads to get that kind of exposure. But more than that, I think it’s nothing less than the club deserves after all the problems we’ve had. We’ve stuck together through the hard times, and now everyone’s pulling in the same direction. It feels like a reward for all the effort.
“In my ten years at the club, I’ve never seen the club come together like it has this past week. Sponsorship has been flying in, local businesses are rallying round, and there’s a real buzz about the town. Hopefully this is the spark we need for people to see that Westbury United is good for the community.
“It puts Westbury on the map. This is going to be a memorable day, not just for the players and fans but for the whole town.”
In the second round tie, Oxford City, who are full-time and operate on a far larger budget than Westbury, looked to be in control after taking a two-goal lead. But a thunderous strike from Dan Restorick on the stroke of half-time gave Westbury hope.
Tactical changes at the break saw United in the ascendancy and Ryan Bole, introduced for the final half-hour, set up two goals. First, young midfielder Ethan Cannings levelled the match within ten minutes of coming on to set up a grandstand finish.
The winner came deep into stoppage time when summer signing Ali Sen, who has endured an injury-hit start to his Westbury career, fired into the top corner to spark wild celebrations.
“The scenes when we scored the goal were just unbelievable,” said Ricky. “The fans, the players, all the staff; I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “For Sen to get that moment after missing a penalty in the FA Trophy last month was incredible.”
For Ricky and fellow manager Lewis Porter, the victory carried special meaning after the club’s struggles in recent years, including financial difficulties that threatened its future.
“I told the lads before the game, this club deserves a good cup run after everything we’ve been through,” he said. “We’ve had tough times, but moments like this show what we’re about. It’s history again – following promotion to the Southern League, winning the Wiltshire Premier Shield, and now this FA Cup run. It feels like we just keep breaking barriers.”
Looking ahead to Farnborough, Ricky knows the challenge will be formidable. “They’re another full-time side with a huge budget, but when that draw came out, all I wanted was a home tie. At our place, with our fans behind us, we’ve got a fighting chance. We’re big underdogs but the FA Cup is all about giant-killing and we’ll be giving it everything again.”
The Westbury boss urged the town to turn out in force for the next round even though the game is on TV. “If you’ve never been to see Westbury before, this is the time,” he said. “The FA Cup is the biggest competition in the world, and these occasions don’t come around often. Bring the kids, bring the family – come and be part of it. There’s nothing like being there on the day.”
The White Horse Men are now just two wins away from the FA Cup first round proper when teams including Swindon Town and former FA Cup winners like Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Huddersfield Town and Wimbledon enter the draw.
“Every non-league manager dreams of reaching the First Round proper,” added Ricky. “It’s still a million miles away, but we’ll give it everything. If Westbury ever made it, I think every one of those lads would deserve a knighthood!”
Pictures by Martin Pearce
