Westbury United are through to the Wiltshire Premier League Shield Final after overcoming Swindon Town in a thrilling semi-final win last week.
Goals from Bevan Cross and CJ Stewart earned an impressive 2-0 win against the League Two opponents and set up a final against Wessex League Premier side Laverstock and Ford next month.
Westbury will be looking to win the trophy – Wiltshire’s premier football cup competition – for only the second time in their history after winning it for the first time in 2023.
The result continues a memorable season for the club, which earlier reached the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round for the first time in 76 years, with their match against Farnborough in September broadcast live on the BBC.
“It’s been an incredible season with the FA Cup run earlier in the season and now to be in the final, it’s another special opportunity for the club,” said joint manager Ricky Hulbert.
“This is the first trophy that Lewis (Porter) and I have won as managers, and the first time the club lifted it, so it means a lot to us,” he said. “And to reach two finals in four years shows how far the club’s come. If we can win this one and finish in the top ten in the league, it would be an unbelievable season for everyone involved.”
The Westbury boss was full of praise for his players and staff after overcoming a lively young Swindon side. “Although Swindon had a lot of Academy players, it’s still a big win for us and they were a good, energetic team with players who I’m sure will go on the have careers in the game. But we used our experience well,” he said. “We stuck to the game plan, stayed disciplined and got the job done. In the end it was quite a comfortable performance, which shows the maturity in our group.”
Looking ahead to the final, Ricky said his players are eager to write another page in the club’s history. “Some of these lads have never won a trophy before, so this is huge,” he said. “You don’t always get many chances in football to lift silverware, and we’ve earned the right to be there after beating Salisbury, Chippenham and Swindon.
“Laverstock & Ford will be a tough outfit – we’ve watched them and know they’ll want it just as much as we do – but we’ll give everything to bring the trophy home again.”
Ricky also had a message for supporters ahead of the final at Melksham’s Oakfield Stadium. “We just want as many people as possible to come out and cheer us on,” he said. “It’s not often Westbury get these chances to win trophies. It would mean the world to everyone – the players, management, and especially the volunteers who give their time and effort behind the scenes. This trophy belongs to the whole club.”
The final will be played on Wednesday 29th April at Melksham Town’s Oakfield Stadium, 7.45pm kick off.
Pictures: MP Sports Photography
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