Westies sunk by last gasp strike in thriller

Westfield Football Club conceded a last gasp goal to exit a divisional cup competition against table-topping opposition.
Josh Carey scored his first two goals of the season in Westfield's 4-3 defeat away to Roffey.Josh Carey scored his first two goals of the season in Westfield's 4-3 defeat away to Roffey.
Josh Carey scored his first two goals of the season in Westfield's 4-3 defeat away to Roffey.

The Westies were edged out 4-3 away to Roffey in round one of the Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division Two Challenge Cup despite turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead.

“The first half was very average and we were running around a bit like headless chickens, but the second half it was a totally different side,” said Mark Stapley, who has been helping out from the Westfield dugout for the last couple of games with a view to joining the management team.

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Westfield tried a new formation with three central defenders and wing backs, and took a while to get used to it. Roffey had a couple of good forwards and Westfield didn’t deal with them during the first half, meaning they trailed 2-0 at the break.

The visitors addressed those issues at half time and proceeded to open up a 3-2 lead. Josh Carey scored two well-taken goals, both good finishes into the bottom corner, either side of Allan McMinigal curling the ball into the top corner from outside the box.

Westfield had chances to score a fourth goal, but were denied by a couple of good saves and then conceded an equaliser.

Roffey put Westfield under pressure towards the end and it paid off in the final minute when a ball across the box was turned in at the far post.

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Stapley added that there were ‘lots of positives’ for a Westfield side which picked up just one yellow card in an improved display on the discipline front. Roffey couldn’t handle Regan Smith at times and McMinigal played well in midfield.

Westfield: Holland; Grindle, Gravett, Stapley, Durrant (Fox), Hurst; Adams, McMinigal, McGurk; R. Smith, Carey (Phipps).

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