1st Team news

Stratford Town 2 - Westfields 1

MATCH REPORT - Saturday, October 31, 2009

Stratford Town 2 - Matt Brown 16, Sam Allsop 77
Westfields 1 - Emanuel Fernandes 88

Attendance 166

Westfields: Pugh, Harrison, Green, Evans, Mussell, Moon, Allam, Hibbard, Addis (D), Lavery, Addis (J).  Subs Fernandes – 85 min for Lavery, McCauley – 80 mins for Green, Hunt – 75 mins for Addis (D)

WESTFIELDS PIPPED IN END-TO-END GAME

Westfields suffered another away defeat in the MFA when they crashed to their 3rd consecutive away MFA defeat away at Stratford Town when, despite long periods of dominance, they returned home pointless from another highly competitive game.  As with recent defeats at Barwell and Coventry Sphinx, Westfields were beaten by the odd goal but this was another game where Westfields should have taken at least a point.

Westfields fell behind in the 16th minute when Jon Pugh palmed away a Sam Alsop shot but the ball fell at the feet of Matt Brown who had the easy task of putting the ball into an empty net to give Stratford an early lead.

Westfields came back at the home side and Lee Mussell was unlucky not to equalise for Westfields when his looping shot hit the Stratford crossbar then Paul Allam had a great chance to equalise but shot over the bar.

Allam then had another chance when he played a neat 1-2 with Daniel Moon but then miss-kicked his shot from 8 yards out when an equaliser seemed inevitable.

Westfields were then lucky not to fall further behind when Terry Green at the heart of the Westfields’ defence sent Matt Gardner tumbling in the penalty area but Sam Alsop sent the resultant penalty crashing against the crossbar.

Stratford were getting on top now and Gardner missed the chance to put Stratford two up when he blazed wide of the Westfields’ goal with only Pugh to beat.

Westfields nearly forced the equaliser on the stroke of half-time when Mark Hibbard headed inches wide after a flick-on by Daryl Addis.

After the interval Westfields enjoyed their best period when Stratford “stand-in” keeper Chris Mole made a great save from Mark Hibbard then the Stratford keeper saved with his feet when Daryl Addis was clean through on goal and seemed certain to equalise.  Westfields luck was out when Mark Hibbard then had a shot cleared off the line by Tom Warmer as Westfields tried to get back on level terms.

Stratford then came back into the game when Sam Harrison cleared a Matt Gardner shot off the line then Sam Alsop headed wide of an open goal when he should have put Stratford further ahead.

Jon Pugh then brought applause from the home crowd with an acrobatic save to deny Matt Brown who got in a fine header but Pugh could do nothing when in the 77th minute the Westfields’ defence opened up for Sam Alsop to put Stratford 2-0 ahead when he played a neat 1-2 with Tom Warmer and rounded Pugh to put the home side into a 2-0 lead.

Westfields kept coming back and Paul Allam again found himself through on goal but the Stratford keeper saved well at full stretch.

Westfields then pulled a goal back in the 87th minute when Westfields’ substitute Emmanuel Fernandes, a Portuguese lad, fired home through a ruck of players after Stratford failed to clear a corner.

With 5 minutes of injury time given Westfields threw everything forward to force an equaliser but they could not unlock a sound Stratford defence and suffered their 3rd consecutive away defeat.