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Match Reports 2007/08 Reserve Team |
Westfield - 3 (1) - Farnham Town - 4 (2) - Curtis, Blason, West
Westfield lost this seven-goal encounter against a youthful Farnham side due to some very naïve defending.
Westfield dominated the opening exchanges and could have taken the lead as early as the fourth minute. James Blason sent over a free kick from the right which eluded everyone in the six-yard box leaving Craig Ellis with a simple tap-in at the back post but his left-foot effort went wide.
’Field took the lead in the twentieth minute. Greg Pummell went on a good run down the inside-right channel and was found by Blason’s ball. Pummell took the ball into the box but his shot was dragged across goal and partially cleared before Darren Curtis volleyed home.
Four minutes later and ‘Field lost veteran defender Ian Cable to a tackle he would have been proud of! The Farnham forward clattered through the back of Cable causing him to twist his ankle. He tried to continue but had to leave the field after a short time to be replaced by youngster Jamie Hamilton.
Blason went on a powerful run past a half-dozen defenders into the box before unleashing a screaming drive from the edge of the six-yard box that as brilliantly saved. And then Pummell did some good work on the left wing before putting in a great cross that was headed just over the bar by James West.
With five minutes left to the break, Farnham’s young guns started to impose themselves on the match and equalised following some poor defending by Anthony Messina at right-back. He allowed the Farnham winger to get past him too easily into the box and his low cross was turned in by Marcus Cousins.
In added time Farnham took the lead. Kirk Greenaway broke the ‘Field offside trap with a well-timed run, rounded Luke Theakston in the Westfield goal before sliding the ball home.
But still ‘Field could have gone in level as Blason hammered in another low screamer that was fumbled by the Farnham ‘keeper to the feet of Darren Curtis, but his effort to clip the ball over the ‘keeper was scrambled clear.
Farnham went 3 – 1 up just six minutes after the break. Marcus Cousins went on a mazy run down the left wing before cutting in and hammering a low drive into the corner of the net.
But just a minute later Blason reduced the deficit, breaking powerfully into the box before slamming home.
With thirty minutes left, forward Tom Sanders was brought on to replace Messina in an effort to get back into the game.
But five minutes later a comedy of defending errors put Farnham two goals ahead again. A mix up between Darren Curtis and Jamie Hamilton on the left touchline allowed Farnham to break and put the ball into the box. It looked like the ball was going to be cleared by Theakston, but the ball dropped to Adam Harding whose attempted clearance ricocheted off Theakston and into the goal.
Farnham then continued to dominate proceedings until the closing stages when West bravely headed home a Pummell cross, but then a great save by Theakston denied Farnham a fifth goal in added time.
Tongham - 2 (0) - Westfield - 5 (3) - Ellis, Cable, Pummell, Blayson, West
On the hottest day of the year Westfield managed to secure a well deserved victory
'Field seemed well in control of this game and got an early goal with a well-flighted freekick from the left by Cable. Ellis got in between the 'keeper and defender to direct his header into the far corner.
The best goal of the match came shortly after when Ian Cable picked the ball up on the left with a first time ball out wide to Blayson, Cable continued his run into unfamiliar territory. Blayson held the ball up well and when he laid the ball into the path of Cable the experienced defender placed a superb first time strike into the top left corner.
Westfield's third came shortly after with a great long ball from Blayson inside his own half which set Pummell away into the far corner. With two defenders to beat he jinked his way into the box leaving the two defenders for dead before slotting the ball home.
The second half started with Westfield conceding early on to allow Tongham a life line. A clear foul inside the Westfield box from a corner went unpunished and Tongham headed home to make it 3-2!
Westfield responded well with Blayson breaking away and smashing a low drive past the outstretched Tongham keeper into the bottom left corner.
And then Blayson was involved in the fifth goal with him again breaking free into the Tongham half he held the ball up well with West breaking into the box to finish off a superb deft chip from Blayson
A deserved victory and a great three points on a scorching hot day
CB Hounslow - 1 (0) - Westfield - 4 (0) - Harding, Sanders, Reeves, Darren Curtis
With an early evening kick off and only eleven men, Westfield put on an inspired performance to come away with a deserved victory in Hounslow.
Westfield started extremely well and Hounslow were unable to cope with their movement and passing. With a number of great chances Westfield just couldn't break the deadlock. Cable hit the bar for the second game running and Pummell should have finished a great move down the left had it not been for some last ditch defending.
At half time even the referee agreed that Westfield should have been in front. Surprisingly it was Hounslow that broke the deadlock with a good individual goal after the break. This made Westfield raise the game to another level and they soon found an equaliser with Tom Sanders smashing in a tight angled left wing cross.
The second came shortly after with great work down the left. The ball was spread across the pitch to an unmarked Adam Harding who took one touch before smashing the ball into the goal from another tight angle.
The third was the best of the bunch. Cable and Sanders linked well with the defenders unable to cope with their ability and pace [Cable ... pace??? [ed]]. Tom seemed to have let the ball run away from him before smashing a superb half volley over the keeper for Reeves to head the ball home.
A great free kick from Darren Curtis on the edge of the box, smashing low into the right hand corner, sealed a deserved victory for the eleven men of westfield who out-played Hounslow for ninety minutes and deserved their win.
Crescent Rovers - 2 (2) - Westfield - 5 (3) - Harding, Reeves, Darnell, West, O.G.
On a boiling hot april afternoon a depleted Westfield side always looked the superior team and had they raised their game above a training ground pace could have notched up a cricket scoreline.
Ten minutes into the game and James West found space on the right and provided a cross for Adam Harding (in an unconventional right wing role) who towered above the defenders to head Westfield into the lead. Several more chances for Reeves, Pummell and Drinkwater came and went but Westfield couldn’t capitalise and against the run of play Cresent somehow equalised!
This kicked Westfield into action and with constant prssure and with another good cross from the right the Cresent defender headed the ball into his own net. Westfield attacked again and this provided the goal of the game. Cable took the took the ball down the left and played it neatly into Nick Darnell who cleverly passed into the feet of Pummell saw the young striker back heal the ball between the two defenders. Reevo latched onto the through ball and finished clinically past the flailing Cresent keeper.
Just before half time Cresent attacked again and scored to somehow keep their hopes alive for a result.
The second half saw Westfield camped in Cresent's half with the keeper pulling off several unbelievable saves from Cable, West and Pummell to prevent a cricket scoreline.
With the defence comparing the sustained attack to the "Alamo" a fourth goal was inevitable and it came with a great ball from Drinkwater out wide on the left and "Tank" Darnell heading the ball past the Crescent keeper.
With five minutes remaining Cable whipped in a corner and Harding headed back across the goal for West to head past the goal line defenders and keeper. On another day this could well have been double figures but Westfield will be happy with the 3 points going into a midweek game at Hounslow.
Westfield - 0 (0) - Hanworth Villa - 0 (0)
The midfields and defences dominated this match restricting both sets of forwards to speculative efforts. There wasn't a significant opportunity of note in the whole of the first half!
The second-half continued in the same vein as the first and only the referee managed to instill a bit of interest! Westfield defender Matt Rains tracked the Hanworth forward back towards his goal and just managed to get a foot to the ball to prevent the forward getting off a shot. However, the ball was barreling towards the top corner until it was well saved by 'Field's impressive 'keeper, Luke Theakston. To everyone's amazement, the referee declared it a back-pass and gave Hanworth an indirect free-kick. Fortunately, the resultant kick was hammered into the outrushing wall and the danger was cleared.
With twenty-five minutes left top scorer James West and Innocent Zulu were brought on, soon followed by Darren Curtis. Immediately 'Field started to open up the Hanworth defence and could have scored a couple of goals. With ten minutes left some good work by West in midfield saw him release Simon Reeves past the last defender but he dragged his shot wide and then with just three minutes left, Reeves was again free on goal, but he shot straight at the 'keeper when a cross ball would have left Curtis with a simple tap-in.
Westfield - 0 (0) - Staines Lammas - 3 (2)
Westfield put in a lacklustre performance against league leaders Staines Lammas.
Staines dominated the first half and could have racked up a cricket score if not for some goal-line clearances, poor finishing and great saves by Sion Gallent in the Westfield goal. The speed and movement of the Staines young forwards carved huge holes in the 'Field defence and time and again they broke free on goal. Staines took the lead after sixteen minutes. A ball was crossed in from the left and laid back to the edge of the box for a sweet first-time dipping volley to clear Gallent and sail into the net.
Three minutes later and only a goal line clearance prevented a further goal for Staines, but then less than a minute later Gallent went to gather the ball but it bounced up into the path of a Staines player to head home.
Westfield didn't manage a meaningful effort on goal all match, and although Staines were better contained
in the second half an unfortunate mistake gifted them their third. Matt Rains - who had been solid throughout - attempted a back-pass from near the halfway line, but it was underhit and the Staines sub gratefully accepted the gift as he shot low past Gallent.
Westfield - 2 (0) - South Park - 1 (0) - West, Pummell
Westfield continued their unbeaten run under Dave Powell with a good win against a hard working South Park side. After a dismal first half both teams giving away possession and not really creating many chances the second half started at a frantic pace.
Westfield seemed to play the better football and made several good chances with Tom Sanders, Simon Reeves and Greg Pummell coming close. Finally a reverse pass from West saw Reeves flick the ball on into the path of Pummell who kept his composure and slotted home under the 'keeper for his 10th goal of the season.
It didn't seem that South Park would respond with all of the attacking play coming from Westfield. But against the run of play South Park broke down the right and a good swerving shot crept in at the near post. South Park then got on the offensive and it was end to end action with both sides coming close.
A few late challenges and 4 bookings saw the temperature of the game rise. A long kick from the South Park 'keeper saw Ellis head the ball back into the path of West and with the Park defenders backing off he struck a 30 yard curling shot into the top left corner of the net...... which saw Robbo air his excitement to the South Park bench and management who had been goading the Westfield team throughout the game.
A well deserved result and great team second half performance saw Westfield climb to 5th in the table with an away trip to league leaders Guildford City on Wednesday night.
Cove - 1 (0) - Westfield - 5 (2) - Reeves (2), West, Newman, Rains
On a cold and wet day Westfield took little time in finishing this game and were two goals up inside 3 minutes. The first came from West's corner which Matt Rains did well to tower above the defence and head a powerful header past the flailing 'keeper. A minute later and another West corner saw the 'keeper miss the ball and Charlie Newman creep in at the back post for a simple header.
Westfield continued to attack and gave Cove little to play for going in at half time 2-0 up. The second half continued where the first had finished with Westfield having chance after chance but simply couldn't apply the finishing touch. Reeves had several great chances but the pitch seemed to let him down (Not his touch)
Ten minutes in and West collected the ball on the edge of the box after some good work from Greg Pummell and hit home into the bottom left corner.
Reeves then applied the forth and fifth with some good team play to carve open the Cove defence. Cove could not handle the runs of Darren Curtis down the left wing and the powerful hold up play by Reeves. With Cove getting a late consolation penalty they were lucky that Westfield squandered several chances which could have made this a far greater result in Westfield's favour.
Worcester Park - 2 (1) - Westfield - 4 (2) - Reeves, Moore (3)
6 goals, 2 sendings off, 3 penalties (missed) and a cracker of a Thursday night encounter at Colliers Wood.
Westfield attacked straight from the kick off with the ball being played back to Cable whose perfect ball over the top was flicked on by Reeves and Zulu lifted his shot over the keeper and just over the bar.
Westfield had a high tempo and the majority of the possession with Worcester Park unable to handle them.
Eventually Westfield’s dominance paid off with a free kick from Moore which the keeper literally couldn’t handle.
Westfield should have increased their lead when Reeves slotted home only to be given offside by a dubious line decision and then Cable in unknown territory hit the bar from West’s corner.
It all seemed one way traffic when on the counter Worcester Park scored an equaliser when the ball should really have been cleared by Westfield.
Westfield went straight back up the other end with Tom Sanders winning the ball down the line and playing a perfect ball across the box for Reeves to slot home for his 9th goal of the season.
A long shot from Worcester park hit Ellis on the hand inside the box to provide a possible come back but Westfield old boy Prendergast pulled his spot kick wide of the goal!
Worcester Park started the second half well and scored fairly quickly latching onto a ball that Westfield again should have cleared.
Westfield came straight back with a great header from Moore before Ellis again handled in the box and again Worcester Park missed the subsequent penalty.
Moore then missed the chance to secure a hat-trick from the spot but shortly after made amends with a mazy run into the Worcester Park box leaving several defenders in his wake before putting the 'keeper onto his backside and slotting the ball into an empty net for a well deserved hat-trick!
Westfield - 2 (0) - Merrow - 1 (1) - Zulu, West
Chessington & Hook - 4 (1) - Westfield - 1 (0) - West
For the second time in a week Westfield had to endure a poor playing surface and this could be a factor in the worst performance of the season.Westfield started well with several attacks on the C&H goal only to see the ball cleared off the line several times.
Greg Pummell had a great effort saved by the 'keeper who knew little about it and a goal line clearance shortly after showed that Westfield deserved to be in front.
Westfield then allowed C&H back into the game and they took advantage of this resorting to long passes into the box which were causing all sorts of problems for the Westfield rear guard.
Eventually the ongoing pressure saw C&H take a deserved lead although it was a scrappy goal. Westfield were unable to respond but managed to limit the damage to one goal and went in for a deserved half time roasting!!!!
Westfield came out the second half and again started well with several goal line clearances and the majority of the play it looked as if they would be able to turn around their miserable first half display
A well placed (mis-timed) shot by Jimmy Clarke fell to James West in the box who was able to simply slot the ball home beyond the flailing C&H goal keeper to make it 1-1
Westfield's revival was short-lived though and again the tide changed and C&H took the initiative. They seemed the more determined of the sides and were causing Westfield problems brought by the away teams mistakes.
The game became fairly scrappy with both sides receiving several deserved bookings.
With Westfield on the back foot C&H managed to break free and simply slotted the ball home past Nick Rogers who had no chance.
Again Westfield came forward and had several chances cleared off the line but were unable to convert and with Westfield throwing their men forward C&H were able to find the space to counter attack and punished the away team with two late goals which ended the game 4-1
A poor performance best forgotten for all those who travelled to Chessington.
Bedfont Green - 2 (0) - Westfield - 1 (0) - Blayson
Westfield will feel a little unlucky not to have come away with at least a point in this hard fought game on a terrible surface in Bedfont.Westfield - 3 (0) - Bookham - 2 (1) - Curtis, West (2)
Westfield won this match thanks to a scintillating spell of football in the opening period of the second half.
Westfield looked the more likely to open the scoring with the good movement of Greg Pummell causing the Bookham defence headaches. In the eighth minutes, one of Pummell's runs left him with just the 'keeper to beat but got the ball stuck under his feet and the chance was cleared.
At the other end Nick Rogers had to be alert to push away a fierce Bookham drive from the edge of the box for a corner.
The game ebbed and flowed without much shape and very little quality football.
The one quality move came just before the break as Kieron Chilton broke down the left before picking out Darren Curtis about thirty yards from goal. Curtis took one touch before unleashing a screaming drive which cannoned off the crossbar and was cleared. Then in typical sucker-punch fashion, Bookham broke and after a spell of pinball in the Westfield box, the ball was deftly chipped over Rogers and into the net.
Whatever was put in 'Field's half-time tea clearly had an impact! In the opening minute a good move down the right by Curtis and Pummell ended with Pummell releasing the ball inside the full-back for Curtis to strike a low drive across the 'keeper and in off the back post.
And less than a minute later 'Field were in front. Pummell kept the ball in play on the right touchline for Curtis to release Craig Ellis down the line who hit a first-time cross into the box where James West executed a perfect volley past the 'keeper.
'Field extended their lead in the fifty-seventh minute. Lee Mason released Curtis on the edge of the box and his deft chip looked to be creeping in at the back stick, but the ball was partially cleared only for West to be left with a simple tap-in to make it 3 - 1.
'Field should have put the match beyond Bookham when West went past two or three defenders in the box, but instead of passing the ball to Curtis for a simple tap-in, understandably tried to complete his hat trick but his effort was cleared.
Immediately 'Field were punished again! A quick break and a low shot past Rogers put the score at 3-2 but fortunately 'Field managed to hold out without too many scares.
Tuesday 29 January - Challenge Cup
Westfield - 2 (1) - Knaphill - 3 (3) - West, Hogsden
No match report to follow ....
Westfield - 2 (2) - CB Hounslow - 2 (0) - Mason, Finegan
Westfield should have had this match wrapped up long before CB got their equaliser in the 90th minute!
Westfield took the lead after just seven minutes. A free kick for offside was floated into the CB box where Darren Curtis took a touch before crossing for Lee Mason to edge the ball home off his knee!
Then on eighteen minutes, 'Field extended their lead. A good move saw the ball passed to Jason Finegan who took the ball on at pace before unleashing an unstoppable shot from 25 yeards with his left foot. Finegan limped out of the game just before half-time with a recurrence of a knee injury to be replaced by Kieron Chilton.
CB started the second half with a degree of determination but their forwards were all over the place with their shooting. Only the pigeons and crows in the trees behind the goal were at risk!
Westfield
should have put the match beyond CB's reach after seventy minutes. Lee Mason skilfully skipped past the last defender and into the box, but with only the 'keeper to beat, managed to push his shot wide! And two minutes later, CB were back in the game. A quick break and it was 2 - 1.
And to add insult to injury, James West repeated Mason's earlier profligacy! With only the 'keeper to beat inside the box, his shot went straight at him and was cleared.
The ultimate penalty for these missed opportunities followed as CB took a free kick into the box to an unmarked played to easily slide the ball past Nick Rogers and into the goal. There was hardly time to restart the match before the ref blew the final whistle.
Saturday 12 January - Surrey Intermediate Cup
Dorking Wanderers - 3 (?) - Westfield - 0 (0)
Match report to follow ....??
Westfield - 3 (1) - Farleigh Rovers - 1 (0) - Reeves (3)
Simon Reeves notched a "perfect" hat-trick in this comfortable win over lowly Farleigh Rovers. And if not for profligacy in front of goal, 'Field could have scored many more.
Westfield dominated the early proceedings and James West twice came close to opening the scoring in the first twenty minutes.
Apart from the occasional break by their rapid forwards, Farleigh were on the back foot repelling wave after wave of 'Field attacks.
More chances went begging as first Kieron Chilton had the opportunity to hammer home following a West corner and then West himself squandered another chance. Some good flowing football by 'Field on the edge of the Farleigh box saw the ball played into West. He laid the ball back for Craig Ellis to shoot, but his shot was tame and was stopped again by West who turned but dragged his shot wide.
'Field's pressure finally told with five minutes to the break. Again some good football ended with Ellis passing into the box for Reeves who took a touch before swivelling and lashing home an unstoppable volley with his right foot.
West and Jimmy Clarke were replaced at the break by Darren Curtis and Darryl Jackson, and the change seemed to unsettle the home side as Farleigh almost scored twice in the opening minutes of the second half.
Reeves scored his second ten minutes into the half as 'Field again assumed the ascendency. Dave Drinkwater sent over a corner from the right and the clearance was stopped by Ian Cable
whose off-target shot was volleyed into the goal by Reeves' left foot.
And six minutes later the perfect hat-trick was completed. Cable floated a free-kick into the box from about thirty-five yards near the right touchline. Ellis rose at the back post to head the ball across goal for Reeves to head home.
'Field's comfort turned to complacency with five minutes left. The defence went AWOL as a rapid-fire Farleigh move carved a way through to Nick Rogers who had no chance as the ball was passed into the net for a final score of 3 - 1.
Westfield - 2 (?) - Knaphill - 2 (?) - Drinkwater, West (pen)
Match report to follow .... ??
Hanworth Villa - 5 (3) - Westfield - 6 (2) - West (2), Reeves (2), Drinkwater, Ellis
Match report to follow .... ??
Westfield - 3 (1) - Sheerwater - 1 (0) - West, Pummell (2)
Match report to follow ....
Westfield - 2 (2) - Hartley Wintney - 1 (0) - Darren Curtis, I. Cable
Westfield edged this closely fought match by the odd goal in three, even though a number of regular first-teamers were in the starting line-up.
'Field took the lead on the half-hour mark. Darren Curtis turned well on the edge of the box and his first shot was blocked but his second effort with his left foot sneaked home just inside the post.
Four minutes later and 'Field should have extended their lead. A great ball into the box found James West but his first touch let him down when he should have scored and the danger was cleared.
'Field extended their lead right on the stroke of half-time. A corner from the right by Parsons was headed goalwards by West and blocked, but Ian Cable was on hand to lash home the rebound.
'Field continued to dominate possession, but slowly HW started to get back into the game. With less than ten minutes left, HW got the goal to set up a tense finale. A cross from the right was well headed down to the right and Surrey cricketer Jade Derrnbach playing in goal for 'Field almost made a great save, but the ball glanced off his fingertips to go in near the post.
A minute later and HW had the ball in the net again. A rapid flowing move ripped through the 'Field defence for the ball to be lashed home only for the linesman to be holding his flag up for offside.
Saturday 1 December - Surrey Intermediate Cup
Westfield - 1 (0) - Crescent Rovers - 0 (0) - aet - J. West
In a scrappy match the ref took centre stage by issuing two red cards and countless yellows.
Westfield eventually scraped through with a powerful header by James West in the final minute of added time. But the win should have been secured long before the last-gasp strike as Westfield spurned many chances to score but kept Crescent to a few forays which hardly had 'keeper Nick Rogers threatened.
Greg Pummell could have scored as early as the first minute! A good move down the right saw the ball played in to Pummell on the left edge of the box. His first touch took him into the area but he then dragged his left-foot shot wide.
'Field did have the ball in the net after thirty-six minutes as West got on the end of a corner to hammer home, but the club linesman had his flag aloft for offside, even though West appeared to arrive at the ball through a ruck of players.
'Field brought on Jade Dernbach in the seventy-ninth minute, but he only stayed on the field for seven minutes before being issued a red card. An appalling foul through the back of Greg Pummell went unpunished by the official and Dirnbach questoned the lack of a decision. Instant red card. How can a leg-breaking challenge go unpunished while a comment in the wrong direction elicit a sending off? Somewhere the priorities are all wrong!
Just to even things up, the Crescent 'keeper also received a red card in the ninetieth minute! He supposedly swore at one of his own players. If all refs applied the letter of the law so rigidly, most matches would end up five-a-side.
With the game ebbing slowly towards a penalty shoot-out Westfield broke down the left wing. Pummell beat the fullback to drag the ball onto his right foot before swinging in an exquisite cross that was met by West to power home an unstoppable header from point-blank range - followed by much celebration by the home team.
Knaphill - 4 (0) - Westfield - 1 (1) - Mason
Match report to follow.....
Westfield - 3 (2) - Frimley Green - 1 (0) - West, Zulu, Chilton
Westfield ran out winners with a seemingly comfortable 3 - 1 scoreline, but the result could have been very different had Frimley Green's two first-half efforts gone in rather than hit the post!
With no official linesmen, offside decisions were somewhat suspect and Frimley Green had their first clear chance after what looked like an offside ball was clipped over the Westfield defence and the FG forward chipped over Nick Rogers only for the ball to rebound off the inside of the post and be cleared.
Westfield had to reshuffle their pack when captain and sweeper Steve Wilding went off injured to be replaced by Innocent Zulu after twenty-two minutes.
Frimley Green continued to press and only a fine save by Rogers from a high curling shot from the left edge of the box prevented them taking the lead.
Gradually Westfield started to take control and a blistering shot from West from outside the box stung the 'keeper's hands.
Five minutes before the break and 'Field went in front. Some good play by Darryl Jackson saw him get away from two defenders before passing into West on the edge of the box. He turned and dragged the ball onto his right foot before hitting a low shot to the 'keeper's left that went just inside the post.
And then two minutes into added time Zulu added a second. The ball was played down the left channel to Greg Pummell in the FG box, and his composure allowed him to pass across the goal for Zulu to tap home.
It was "game on" just two minutes into the second half! FG played the ball down the left to Lee Cope who took the ball on a few strides before unleashing an unstoppable shot that screamed high into the net, blistering the paint from the left goalpost on its way!
'Field continued to threaten the Frimley Green goal with good chances falling to Greg Pummell and Jade Dernbach before Kieron Chilton wrapped up the points with five minutes to go.
Some good play by Dernbach and Anthony Messina ended with the ball falling to Chilton about six yards out. He took one touch to control the ball before hammering home a screamer with his trusty left peg.
Merrow - 1 (?) - Westfield - 2 (?) - Darren Curtis, Messina
Match report to follow...?
Saturday 3 November - Surrey Intermediate Cup
Westfield - 2 (0) - Woodmansterne Hyde - 0 (0) - Darren Curtis, Drinkwater (pen)
Westfield edged their way through to the next round of the intermediate cup against a solid outfit from the Surrey South East Combination League.
In a first half devoid of goalmouth incident, 'Field's first chance on goal didn't arrive until the thirty-fourth minute! Darren Curtis found himself free in the Woodmansterne box with only the 'keeper to beat, but his usual deadly finishing touch let him down as his effort went tamely into the 'keeper's arms.
With no official linesmen, playing an offside game was suicidal as twice the Woodmansterne forwards broke clear - apparently offside but without any flag being raised - only to hit the woodwork.
Westfield took the lead on forty-two minutes after a bit of old-fashioned route-one football. 'Keeper Jade Dernbach launched a high kick into the WH half where it was headed on by Dave Drinkwater. Hesitation in the defence allowed Darren Curtis to sneak in and deftly slide the ball into the net from the edge of the box.
On sixty-four minutes, 'Field were awarded a penalty. The WH 'keeper had to deal with a poor back-pass, but lost the ball to Greg Pummell. As Pummell was preparing to shoot on goal, the 'keeper pulled him down. Pummell stepped up to take the kick, but his effort to the 'keeper's left was well saved.
With five minutes to go, 'Field were awarded another penalty. Sub Darryl Jackson nicked the ball from a defender in the box and was bundled over. Dave Drinkwater took the ball and lashed the penalty kick into the goal.
'Field saved their best piece of football until the ninety-fifth minute! A rapid one-touch break saw Darren Curtis release Pummell who in turn laid a first-time pass to Jackson on the edge of the box, but he was unable to finish off the move with a goal as he dragged his shot wide.
Westfield - 1 (0) - Bedfont Green - 2 (0) - West
Match report to follow...?
Hartley Wintney - 2 (1) - Westfield - 2 (1) - Fagan, Pummell
Westfield followed on their disappointing performance the week before at Farleigh Rovers with another lacklustre effort, culminating in the same outcome as the previous weekend.
Once again, for the fourth consecutive week the fixture had no linesman assigned to it so the referee had to enlist the help of club members from each side. Fortunately both did a fair and reasonable job, more so than the ref himself who was slightly officious, very petty and whistle happy.
After setting his stall out to penalise every minor incident, in the 15th minute he very harshly adjudged Dave Drinkwater of handball on the edge of the Westfield box, DD was 5 yards away, blocking a shot and clearly protecting himself. The resultant free kick was driven hard and low, going under the end of the wall and past the unsighted Jade Dernbach in the Westfield goal.
After an already lethargic start, this set Field back even more and the next fifteen minutes saw very patchy play, some poor passing and very little direction. Luckily, Hartley Witney seemed so happy with being 1-0 up they proceeded to waste time and delay things despite it still being the first half.
However, this changed for the better in the last 10 mins of the first half. Some extended possession and neat play had Hartley chasing shadows. A good set up from Westy set up Dave Drinkwater and his 25 yard shot cannoned back off the crossbar. Minutes later, Joey Delano moved into the Hartley half from defence and slotted an excellent through ball to Simon Fagan who took it a couple of paces in his stride before lashing it past the keeper. 1-1 Shortly after and just before the half time whistle more good build up saw the ball fall to Darren Curtis on the edge of the box, his tidy control and driven shot was inches wide of giving Field the lead.
The second half pretty much started as the first had started, some pretty poor play from both sides and Westfield dropping to the level of their opponents. Far too many wrong decisions were made by individuals and either players in the Westfield dressing room had not listened at half time or were choosing to do their own thing.
Despite being gifted a second goal by Hartley when a defender passed a free kick across the face of his own box to his team mate who had turned away, leaving the alert Pummell to seize on the free ball and fire in to a near empty net, Westfield continued to be the orchestrators of their own downfall. Too often were the back four caught square with a ball over the top and also found out of position as well as ball watching and diving in missing tackles - very disappointing as Westfield had defended reasonably well in the first half and previous two games. Possibly, with Steve Wilding unavailable, they were missing someone to organise and sweep behind them?
With about 15 minutes remaining, Field ultimately paid the price for encouraging the opposition on to them when a break into the box saw Dernbach save an initial effort well with his legs only for the HW player to beat defenders to the rebound and smash the ball home. 2-2
The introduction of a couple of subs had a better effect on the game and with HW appearing happy with a point, and just a couple of minutes of time remaining, some decent build up play on the edge of the Hartley box by West and Pummell, found Chilton unmarked in the Hartley box. He really should have done better after a good first touch, his side foot shot just caught the heel of the advancing keeper and trickled past the post for a corner.
With the absence of Graham Pope, manager Gary Lennahan, working on his own, can be disappointed that too many of his players did not perform up to expectations, and any with first team aspirations, ought really to be upping their games and commitment considerably. Farleigh Rovers - 2 (0) - Westfield - 2 (1) - Harding, Pummell (pen)
Match report to follow..... ?
Westfield - 3 (1) - Worcester Park - 1 (0) - Pummell (2), Chilton
Match report to follow..... ?
Saturday 29 September - League
South Park - 4 (1) - Westfield - 5 (2) - Mason (2), Chilton, Fagan, Asif
Match report to follow..... ?
Saturday 22 September - League
Westfield - 0 (0) - Guildford City - 2 (0)
With Westfield's injury list growing by the day, the Reserves had to draft in 4 youth team players for debuts plus ask others to play out of position.
Craig Ellis, returning from injury an looking to re-stake his claim in the first team was needed to play in goal, whilst Kieron Chilton, with only 30 mins of football behind him this season had to sweep in the absence of Steve Wilding.
However, despite this all of Westfield's players acquitted themselves very well against a well organised, young Guildford side who had a string of good results behind them.
The first half saw both teams playing some good football without either threatening on goal, this was obviously good news for Craig Ellis in the Westfield goal as well as ex-Westfield 'keeper Mike Brawley, keen to keep a clean sheet on his return to Field.
The second half was slightly different. With Westfield taking a bit of time to settle after half time, some good play from Guildford required Ellis to save well at the feet of the centre forward just yards out.
It wasn't long before Guildford took the lead. A breakdown in Westfield's play saw Guildford break and struggling to get players back, the 'Field defence lost shape with sweeper Chilton attempting to block the cross on the left wing. The deep cross eluded both centre halves in the box and the left the little Guildford right winger a free header past Ellis. 1-0
As the game progressed to the last 15 minutes, Chilton was sent up front as Field chased an equaliser. This opened the game up and Guildford capitalised, creating 3 or 4 more good chances, one of which they converted when a through ball down the right was crossed to an unmarked man in the box to sidefoot home. 2-0
Regardless of the scoreline, there are a number of positives to take from the game, a reasonable footballing performance from an inexperienced side as well as very steady performances from the younger players, especially Dan Curtis and Chris Davis.
Westfield - 1 (?) - Cove - 1 (?) - Pummell
Match report to follow..... ?
Farnham Town - 4 (?) - Westfield - 1 (?) - Ellis
Match report to follow..... ?
Tuesday 4 September - Challenge Cup
Hartley Wintney - 1 (0) - Westfield - 2 (0) - (1 - 1 aet) - Mason, Jackson
Westfield went through thanks to a last-gasp goal from Darryl Jackson who scored in the twenty-ninth minute of extra time as it looked certain that the tie was going to be decided on penalties.
The teams were evenly matched, with the early skirmishes being in midfield and very few clear chances. 'Field 'keeper Nick Rogers pulled off a good save after ten minutes, tipping over a shot from the edge of the box. 'Field's Robbie Murray then broke the disciplined HW offside trap to break clear, but dragged his shot wide.
Rogers came to the rescue again just before the break. Vic Flynn mised a challenge that allowed the HW forward to break on goal, but the 'keeper palmed the ball away for a corner.
'Field almost took the lead immediately after the break. Dave Drinkwater timed his run well to a pass over the top, but got to the ball just ahead of the 'keeper and was unable to put the ball past him.
On fifty-four minutes, 'Field's pressure told. WIng-back Danny Hartlebury timed his run to perfection to break the offside trap again. He looked up to see the 'keeper off his line and sent over a high shot that bounced once before ricocheting off the post, only for the other wing-back, Lee Mason, to head home the rebound.
HW then pushed forward looking for the equaliser as 'Field tried to hold on to their lead. On seventy-three minutes, Stuart Hatch broke well down the right and passed into Nick McMahon, whose first time shot from the edge of the box gave Rogers no chance.
Two minutes later and 'Field should have been ahead again. A good free-kick by Hartlebury saw Greg Pummell break free and his exquisite first touch set up the shot which was dragged wide.
With ten minutes left, and in an attempt to avoid extra time, the attacking subs Darryl Jackson and Darren Curtis were sent on to replace Pummell and Mason.
With no more goals in normal time, the game went to extra time and 'Field were awarded a penalty in the first minute! Jackson took the ball past his defender to the right of the box and went down. The ref pointed to the spot causing deep consternation amongst the HW defenders who insisted that Jackson had dived. However, Curtis placed the ball on the spot, but his well-struck shot cannoned off the bar and was cleared - to much jeering and continued abuse aimed at Jackson.
'Field had more chances to take the lead with Drinkwater and Jackson both going close before the coup-de-grace. With everyone expecting the final whistle, Jackson again broke the offside trap, cut inside the box and lashed an unstoppable shot inside the far post - to joyful celebrations from the 'Field players, and dejection from HW.
Westfield - 4 (1) - Crescent Rovers - 2 (1) - Pummell, Mason, Turner, Murray
The ressers notched their third four-goal haul of the campaign, but it was only in the final fifteen minutes when the Rovers' player's legs went that 'Field really took control.
'Field could have taken the lead after two minutes when a high ball into the six yard box was misjudged by the Rovers' 'keeper, but Lee Mason's header was deflected wide for a corner.
Rovers took the lead on ten minutes. A driven corner from the right was well headed home at the back-stick by Ray Wiley.
'Field dominated large portions of the remainder of the first-half, but many misplaced passes from midfield caused the moves to break down. 'Field could have got back on terms after twenty-one minutes. A strong run down the right by Danny Hartlebury was followed by a good cross that almost crept in after the 'keeper had again misjudged the flight. Greg Pummell chased the ball down and played back to the edge of the box where Mason was steaming in, but his well struck side-foot shot was cleared off the line.
'Field got level on twenty-five minutes. The ball was played into the box by Mason and Pummell timed his run well to get a foot to the ball to deftly lob the 'keeper and into the net.
Six minutes later and 'Field should have taken the lead. Another flowing move ended with Jamie Butler threading the ball to Dave Drinkwater and as the ball fell to his left foot you expected to see the net bulge with another of his trademark screamers! But he was leaning back too far and the ball flew high over the bar!
As the 'Field midfielders
took control, more goals seemed likely in the second half.
Darryl Jackson was brought on to replace Gary Butler fourteen minutes into the second half and almost scored immediately. He timed his run well down the left channel, opened his body to curl a right-foot shot past the 'keeper but it was well saved.
'Field took the lead their play deserved after sixty-two minutes. Veteran Vic Flynn was fouled just outside the Rovers' box and Mason hit a hard curler past the wall and into the net at the near post.
But Rovers weren't to be outdone. With 'Field looking for the win, WIley again broke free of the defence and lashed an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner with just sixteen minutes left.
After this, the difference in fitness levels began
to show as 'Field became rampant and looked like scoring on every attack. Two minutes after Rovers' equaliser Jackson again broke free of the defence after another good move but his lob went wide. The relentless pressure eventually told as Drinkwater's low corner evaded everyone except Paul Turner who lashed home from less than a yard out.
And with just two minutes left, sub Robbie Murray wrapped up the scoring after a flowing move between Jackson and Drinkwater saw Drinks pass the ball into Murray who calmly converted from inside the six-yard-box.
Westfield - 2 (1) - Warlingham - 3 (1) - Pomorski, Jackson
With Westfield suffering a goalkeeper crisis, veteran John Cassidy was drafted in between the sticks - and although conceding three times, was not at fault for any.
'Field took the lead after just eight minutes. A break down the right touchline was followed by a ball into the box to Greg Pomorski who volleyed home skillfully, beating the 'keeper at his near post.
But just six minutes later, Warlingham were level. The ball was played to the Warlingham right and the forward moved into the box with the defence backing off. A chip to the back post found Drew Corbin unmarked and he headed home easily.
'Field had more than enough chances to extend their lead, but profligacy in front of goal would eventually be punished! Jon Jones had a good chance but volleyed wide and then Pummell broke clear only to drag his shot wide of the post.
John Cassidy came to the rescue too, with a brave block on the edge of his box. The ball fell to a Warlingham forward who chipped the ball back towards goal for Andy Bailey to clear from the goal line.
'Field re-took the lead nine minutes into the second half. Dave Drinkwater sent over a corner which was partially cleared. The ball was played back to Drinks who put over another cross to the near post for Darryl Jackson to head home.
With fifteen minutes left, a decision (or lack of it) by the referee allowed Warlingham to get level. A Warlingham defender broke forward and clearly used his hand to move the ball forward. The ball broke for Stefan Joseph who took one touch before hammering the ball hard and low past Cassidy. The Warlingham defender was still laughing at the referee for missing the hand ball as Westfield restarted the game.
And with ten minutes to go, Warlingham snatched the winner. A free kick was awarded on the edge of the box for Chris Pitts' shot to deflect off the edge of the wall and creep in at the corner of the goal.
With time running out, 'Field still had three clear chances
to score. Paul Turner was sent forward and could have scored following good work by Jackson, but his volley went tamely into the 'keepers hands. And in the ninetieth minute the Warlingham 'keeper pulled off two magnificent saves, first from Pummell and then from Pomorski.
So Westfield suffered their first league defeat of the new campaign, but if they continue to play as well as they did today, they should be competing for a top slot by the end of the season.
Westfield - 2 (1) - Chessington & Hook- 1 (0) - Prendergast, Drinkwater
This was a game of three halves! First half, second half and added time!
The first half was virtually devoid of goal-mouth incident until Westfield took the lead after thirty-six minutes. For the first time, Westfield got behind the C&H defence and the ball was passed to Craig Prendergast just inside the box He took one touch to go past the last defender before unleashing a left-foot shot that beat the 'keeper at his near post. Then just beore half-time another good move freed Greg Pummell into the box and his shot was well saved.
The second half saw the midfield and defences dominating, with scoring chances were hard to come by, although Westfield should have been awarded a penalty when Pummell was clearly taken out from behind in the box, but the referee bottled the decision.
C&H started to push heavily for the equaliser and threw the cavalry forward leaving gaps at the back which 'Field expolited. With five minutes left a 'Field corner was played back to taker Dave Drinkwater and his well flighted cross eluded the 'keeper onto the head of the surprised Paul Turner who headed over the bar. But with three minutes left Drinkwater extended 'Field's lead with a great goal. He picked up the ball about thirty yards out, eased the ball past the defender onto his left foot and let fly from twenty-five yards with an unstoppable screamer that flew into the top left of the goal with the 'keeper just watching in awe!
The third "half" of added time somehow lasted eight minutes and in the ninety-sixth minute C&H were gifted a lifeline! A mix up in central defence between Turner and Craig Ellis allowed the C&H foward a clear run at goal and he shot powerfully past Nick Rogers in the 'Field goal.
When asked about the extended added time, the ref said it was "because the ball took a long time to come back into play". If that was the case, why was there only one minute added in the first half?
Sheerwater - 1 (0) - Westfield - 4 (2) - Reeves (3), Mason
A Simon Reeves hat-trick helped 'Field to their second four goal haul in a few days!
Two first half goals - one a rare Reeves header - gave 'Field a comfortable half-time lead, although Sheerwater dominated periods of play.
In the second half, 'Field continued to push forward and looked likely to score on each attack, with Dave Drinkwater pulling the strings in midfield, exposing the vast gaps that Sheerwater were leaving at the back.
'Field's third goal was a gem! One-touch football at rapid pace started with Andy King in the left-back position moving forward and after a series of exquisite passes King was released to the left edge of the box, fired in a low cross which was met first time by Reeves and into the net. You won't see a better constructed and executed goal anywhere this season!
'Field's fourth came after another good move which found Greg Pummell on the edge of the six-yard box with what looked like a simple tap-in ... but the 'keeper blocked the effort and it rebounded to the edge of the box only for Lee Mason to thunder his drive into the back of the net.
With 'Field cruising and looking like attaining another clean sheet, the defenders switched off. The impressive Andy King tried to shepherd the ball out of play, but the Sheerwater player managed to nick it off him and break into the box. With the rest of the 'Field defence also expecting King to allow the ball out for a goal kick they were caught sleeping as the ball was crossed in and simply headed into the goal leaving 'keeper Rogers no chance.
Westfield - 4 (3) - Tongham - 0 (0) - Murray (2), Jackson, Pummell
Match report to follow...