1st Team news

Home v Kirby Muxloe

MATCH REPORT - Saturday, August 08, 2009

Westfields opened their MFA League 2009-10 campaign with a 2-2 home draw against league newcomers KIRBY MUXLOE.  The East Midland League Champions proved a tough hard-working unit at allpay.park on Saturday.

On a beautiful sunny opening day of the season the visitors opened smartly and Jon Pugh was twice in early action taking crosses and then Tom Sparey made saving tackles before Kirby Muxloe took the lead in a bizarre fashion.

Keeper Jon Pugh had the ball in one hand but delayed his release of the ball and Kirby Muxloe striker Mark Schultz kicked the ball out of his hand and chipped the ball goalwards.  The ball struck the crossbar and dropped onto the line but the linesman ruled the ball had crossed the line and despite the pleas of Westfields players the bizarre goal was given. 

Westfields hit back and Tom Sparey fired over the bar from a Carl Morgan cross, then Darryl Addis got the ball in the visitors’ net but was adjudged to be offside.

Westfields then had another great chance to draw level when the lively Carl Morgan put over a fine right wing cross and Danny Hill got in a header which went straight to the visitors’ keeper.

Just before the interval the visitors should have gone further ahead when Jamie Mason beat the Westfields defence to go through unchallenged on goal but with only Jon Pugh to beat, Mason smashed his shot against the Westfields post and the ball went out for a goal-kick.

After the break Westfields drew level with a superb solo goal from Carl Morgan who raced down the right wing and beat 3 visiting defenders and cut inside to unleash a tremendous shot which went in off the far post to put Westfields level at 1-1 in the 48th minute.  Westfields had a lift from this inspired Morgan equaliser and within five minutes they had gone ahead when new boy Jamie Addis was brought down in the visitors’ penalty area and Mark Hibbard put Westfields 2-1 ahead from the resultant penalty.

In an action packed end-to-end opening game the Leicestershire visitors were level with a “route one” goal when Kirby Muxloe keeper punted the ball up field and the ball bounced over the Westfields defence and it fell nicely for Stuart Varrell who smashed the ball past Jon Pugh to give the visitors an equaliser at 2-2.

Both sides had chances then to go ahead and Carl Morgan fired just wide while Pugh made two full length saves to deny Kirby Muxloe as it looked likely that the visitors would steal the points in this highly entertaining opening MFA league game where Westfields were happy to take a point.