Recap

Westfields 2 – Cassell, MacDonald

Rugby Town – Ahenkorah, Seal

WESTFIELDS IN FA CUP FIGHT-BACK

Westfields produced a superb second-half display to recover from being 2-0 down at the break against visiting Rugby Town in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup on Saturday at allpay.park.

Westfields looked dead and buried at half time after allowing Rugby to largely dominate the early stages of the Cup tie when the visitors took a shock first-half lead through Edwin Ahenkorah.

He blasted the ball home from close range after Westfields’ defence had failed to clear the initial attack.

Rugby then went into a 2-0 lead on the half hour when Ryan Seal fired home a terrific free kick from the edge of the box after the Westfields defender had been penalised for a foul.

Westfields had had their moments in the first half and Dan Stoneman looked extremely troublesome down both flanks but on one occasion Jack Gittoes just failed to get onto the end of a cross to have reduced the arrears.

However, after the break Westfields really got into the game and after a Kyle Cassell shot had been cleared off the Rugby Town goal-line in the 65^th minute Cassell followed up and blasted the ball home through a ruck of players to give Westfields a hope.

Westfields began to get into the game and Rugby Town were having difficulty in containing Stoneman and in the 79^th minute Westfields drew level with a terrific goal from Matt MacDonald who fired home from a free kick from the edge of the box which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

Westfields were now in buoyant mood, having got back to all square at 2 each, and should have taken the lead when the lively Stoneman dispossessed the Rugby full-back Luke English and went through but his shot cannoned off the post.

Moments later again the dangerous Stoneman got through but his shot cannoned off the crossbar as Rugby were lucky to survive.

Westfields then had another opportunity when substitute Adam Wakley got through on a one-on-one but the Rugby keeper Matt Hill produced a save and then the visitors’ keeper was called into action when he saved from Harley Morris as Westfields finished very strong to force a replay at Rugby on Tuesday night.

The winners of the tie will play away at Studley on 20^th August, kick-off 3pm.