Recap

Westfields 0

Thornbury Town 1 – Sheppard-Cozens

WESTFIELDS PAY THE PENALTY

Westfields paid the penalty for a sending-off of influential player Dan Stoneman on 30 minutes and then later conceded a penalty in the second half when bottom of the table Thornbury recorded a surprise a 1-0 home win over a disappointing Westfields side on Bank Holiday Monday.

Manager Phil Glover caused a surprise before the kick-off when he relegated Harry Pitman, who was Man of the Match against Lads Club only a few days earlier and scored a vital goal and laid on another, to the substitutes’ bench and brought in Adam Wakley who was promptly withdrawn at half time in favour of Steve Davies.

Westfields, playing in front of a 216 Bank Holiday crowd, had a couple of early opportunities when Dan Stoneman flashed a ball across the face of the goal without anyone being on the end of it to convert the chance, and then at the other end Matt Apperley in the Westfields goal twice took high crosses to avert any danger from the Bristol-based visitors.

On 30 minutes Westfields were reduced to 10 men when Dan Stoneman was penalised with a red card for an off-the-ball incident, which was spotted by the linesman, when he kicked out at an incident with the Thornbury left back.

Westfields, then down to 10 men, were up against it as Thornbury, despite being bottom of the league, gave a wholehearted performance with a non-stop committed display.

Both sides went in at the interval goal-less but after the break Westfields still displayed good attacking play with a shot bouncing off the crossbar before Thornbury took a 75^th minute lead from the penalty spot when Jack Sheppard-Cozens converted the spot-kick after he had been brought down in the Westfields penalty area.

Westfields then had an uphill task with 10 men to get back at the visitors but twice went close to equalising when a shot was cleared off the Thornbury line and then 4 consecutive corners were cleared by the strong Thornbury defence.

Westfields, despite changing their attacking force of Wakley and Hunt at half time, could not penetrate the visitors’ defence and went down to that penalty decision and having to face the side from Bristol with 10 men.

Westfields now visit Shrivenham on Saturday and next Tuesday they host local rivals Hereford Pegasus in the Third Round of the Hellenic League Floodlit Cup.