Tuesday 17th September Toolstation Western League First Division Westbury United 1 Cribbs
Westbury United produced their best performance for a month to hold 2nd placed team Cribbs FC to a draw on a very windy evening at Meadow Lane.
In truth though, United should have won the match, as they created more chances than their visitors, and several excellent opportunities went begging as well as the woodwork being struck twice. With something of a defensive crisis due to suspension, injury and players leaving, manager Matty Bown persuaded veteran Mark Pearce to return to 1st team action and he put in a man of the match performance! There were strong displays throughout the team, with youngsters Dan Letchford and Charlie Walton looking ever more assured.
Things didn’t look good for the hosts early on as they allowed Cribbs to take a 2nd minute lead; Dom Graffagnino’s deep corner found Matt Davis and he sent a looping header over Alex Shaftoe and into the net. There was almost an action replay soon after but this time Davis’ header drifted onto the roof of the net! Strong defending by Pearce and Matt Friendship denied Cribbs any further chances before half time. Westbury came into the game and produced a few lovely attacks. Jake Cooper and David Whyte combined to set up Wayne Wheeler and his 18 yarder was well saved by Matt Turner, then a lofted ball from Mark Young found Nathan Hallett and his rasping left footed strike rebounded off the post! Hallett and Wheeler were involved in several more fine moves which had no end result, with Wheeler guilty of a bad miss when one on one with Turner!
Prolific Reserve Team goalscorer Marc Lanfear also made a return to 1st team action as a half time substitute and he had a glorious chance to equalise 10 minutes into the 2nd half when, sent running by Cooper’s pass, he blazed the ball over the crossbar! Shaftoe made his only meaningful save of the evening on 71 to deny Jack Kinnerley, and that proved vital as United drew level a minute later; Hallett took a fairly weak corner kick but Cribbs captain Ryan McKillop miskicked his attempted clearance and the ball skewed into the net! Amazingly Westbury almost grabbed a winner from another own goal! Young swung in a free kick which James Clarke tried to clear and the ball cannoned against the bar and out for a corner! Despite forcing a series of corners a winner wasn’t to be found.
*STAR MAN – Mark Pearce (Westbury United).
