Sat 5th March. Hellenic Premier Division. Westfields 0 Westbury United 2
WESTBURY United know that they have to keep winning to secure second place in the Hellenic Premier Division and potential promotion to the Southern League. After the weather of recent weeks, it was nice to finally play a match in the sunshine and more tolerable wind.
Westfields definitely started as the brighter team with Harrison Summers forcing a save from Mark Bowden in the first five minutes. Harrison and Dan Stoneman looked like they were going to have the Westbury fullbacks on toast all afternoon, but after the initial ten minutes Steve Hulbert and Ryan Bole managed to get to grips with them and were on top for most of the remainder of the game.
It took until minute 16 for Westbury to have a shot of any note and that fell to Harvey Flippance after some good interplay between himself and Callum Demkiv, which was started by Westbury skipper Dan Price stepping in to win the ball and playing it forward. Flippance powered his shot just wide with such ferocity it knocked a fence panel off behind the Westfield goal!
The game became a battle in the midfield until the 36th minute when a Westbury throw-in on the left-hand side was held up by Demkiv, he played it into Joe Stradling who cut inside and sent a curling shot into the far stanchion of the goal giving goalkeeper Ian Harvard no chance and making it 1-0. The game proceeded to continue as a midfield battle for the remainder of the half.
Westbury came out for the second half determined to keep their lead and defended well in numbers and around the 75thminute mark Westfields had three successive corners that were well defended. Moments later Stradling rode a couple of challenges when the referee allowed the play to continue, passed the ball to Demkiv on the Westbury right, Demkiv drove into the penalty and fired a low shot past the keeper into the far side netting to double Westbury’s advantage.
Four minutes later Westbury had a strong penalty shot when Demkiv was bundled over in the Westfields’ penalty area, the referee was well positioned and decided that it was not a penalty. Moments later Demkiv beat the offside trap again, this time down the left, before reaching the penalty area and crossing the ball inside towards Sammy Jordan; the ball hit a defender’s arm and fell to Flippance who bounced his shot off the top of the bar. After 85 minutes Flippance was replaced by Kurt James as Westbury were content to shut up shop and secure the three points.
Star Man: Joe Stradling. Team: Mark Bowden, Steve Hulbert, Ryan Bole, Ashton Shanley, Dan Price, Jacob Hutchings, Joe Stradling, Will Thomson, Ricky Hulbert, Callum Demkiv, Harvey Flippance. Subs: Sammy Jordan, Kurt James (used) Dan Jordan, Ed Baldy, Lewis Porter (unused).
Tue. 8th Mar. Hellenic League Premier Division Westbury Utd 2 Royal Wootton Bassett Town 0
IT wasn’t pretty but it sure was effective as Westbury consolidated their second place position, opening up a five-point advantage on the team in third.
Home captain Dan Price defended well as the visitors forced a few early corners then at the other end Ryan Bole fired over at the end of a bursting run. Samuel Morris got in behind the home back line but the ball skipped onto Mark Bowden before Morris could get an effort in.
There were long periods of scrappy play in both halves, not helped by the referee’s insistence on making his views clear to the respective benches. The respective benches views were equally frustrated by the officials’ questionable decision making!
United, with the returning Ronnie Frost dominant in midfield and with his long throws, began to dictate and a series of good moves saw Harvey Flippance, Jack Biddescombe and Callum Demkiv all go close to scoring twice each, the latter forced Edward Cavanagh into a fine save.
The work rate of the home side was exemplified by Jake Hutchings getting right up to the left wing from centre back and creating a chance at the end of his efforts. Towards half time Cavanagh saved again when Bole struck a free kick but the break arrived with the score at 0-0.
Five minutes after the break, Flippance notched his 11th goal since joining Westbury when he latched onto a long throw by Frost to make it 1-0. United could have doubled their lead soon after but Demkiv had a shot blocked, then Ashton Shanley’s corner was nodded wide by Flippance.
Bassett had a few half chances to draw level, John Mills struck the ball off target then Bole did well to block David Bampton’s attempt with Bowden then parrying the ball away from danger. The second goal was scored on 68’ as Shanley’s pinpoint corner was headed powerfully into the top corner by Frost.
Another Frost throw caused panic when the ball cannoned off the bar; however this worked in the visitors’ favour as they attacked and Bowden had to be strong to deny James Johnson.
Price was the victim of a very poor decision which saw him yellow carded after making the best tackle of the match. This proved vital as he was then sent off for a second caution leaving Westbury with 10 men for the final 15 minutes. The team defended admirably, including Bowden making a great save from Alan Griffin’s fierce free kick.
Star man; Mark Bowden.
Team; Mark Bowden, Jake Hutchings, Ryan Bole, Ronnie Frost, Dan Price, Ashton Shanley, Joe Stradling, Steve Hulbert, Harvey Flippance, Callum Demkiv, Jack Biddescombe. Subs; Sam Jordan, Kurt James, Dan Kovacs (used) Ricky Hulbert, Ed Baldy (unused)
Report by Andy Bowen
