Westbury mounted a brilliant late comeback to snatch a point at hot and sunny Cheddar.
This extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches and denied Cheddar a double (their hosts had won 2-0 at Meadow Lane earlier in the season).
With United crowned champions and Cheddar guaranteed 4th place both teams relaxed and played expansive football which resulted in a great game to watch!
Westbury, with Jamie Jordan and Jordan Pinder prominent, were the better side early on. Jamie Jordan and Mark Robinson combined to set up Pinder whose finish went just wide, Dan Jordan played a wonderful cross field ball to Jamie Jordan who curled a lovely effort onto the roof of the net then Robinson and Jamie Jordan put together another clever move which led to Pinder heading off target.
Cheddar began to impose themselves in midfield without being able to break down United’s brick wall defence. However the resistance was broken on 19 minutes when Steven Pennington latched onto the ball and volleyed superbly past Lewis Porter!
Porter had to be alert to save Jake Buxton’s header before play flowed from end to end ; firstly a Jamie Jordan corner led to a goalmouth scramble in which Matt Jones, Dan Kovacs and Robinson all had efforts blocked then the hosts broke quickly with Craig Mawford getting in and shooting wide!
Dan Jordan played another brilliant ball to Pinder which the latter should have done better with but only managed to lash his finish over the bar!
An equaliser looked ever more likely and after Kovacs had forced Liam Kingston into a save the next attack saw Pinder play a great ball to Jamie Jordan and he applied a clever finish from an acute angle to make it 1-1.
Westbury could have led before half time but Robinson could only miscue an effort straight at Kingston.
The 2nd half got off to a terrible start for United with Dan Price fouling Mawford inside the penalty area and Chris Coombes stepped up to convert the spot kick to regain Cheddar’s lead.
The same players combined on 57 to make things even worse for Westbury , this time it was Mawford who applied the finishing touch to make it 3-1.
Remarkably this is the first time since last April, also at Cheddar, that United have conceded more than 2 goals in a match!
The play went through a long, scrappy phase as the heat took its toll but there was to be a dramatic ending to this most excellent of seasons for Westbury United!
Kingston did well to hold a Kovacs header after a fine ball by Leon Greenland but the keeper made an horrendous error on 87 ; coming out of his area to clear Jamie Jordan’s wayward pass Kingston completely missed the ball and Robinson had the simplest of tasks to walk it in.
Sensing the chance to draw level United went all out for an equaliser and Josh Ferguson found Jamie Jordan who crossed from the right to Martin Johnson and he hit a fine finish in off the post.
At 3-3 and with a few minutes still to play either side could have snatched victory ; Cheddar wasted a good move just before a shooting opportunity then Robinson ran forward and squared the ball to Jamie Jordan but this time Kingston made a save.
What a season for the White Horse Men! Toolstation League Division One champions, just 3 league defeats and an unbeaten run of 23 since early December, only 29 goals conceded which is 20 less than the next best defensive record by fellow promoted side Roman Glass St George and, of those 29, 5 were penalties and opposition players scored at least 6 wonder goals!
*STAR MAN ; Jamie Jordan. TEAM ; Lewis Porter, Dan Jordan, Leon Greenland, Steve Hulbert, Dan Price, Matt Jones, Jamie Jordan, Jordan Pinder, Mark Robinson, Dan Kovacs, Joe Stradling. SUBS ; Josh Ferguson, Joe Kirkpatrick, Martin Johnson (used) Kieran Ramsey (unused)
Andy bown
