Report

Westbury picked up a vital 3 points against another struggling side with Mark Young notching his third goal in three games. Midfielder Bobby Mitchell had an outstanding game to spur his teammates on to their second consecutive victory. United were the better team in the opening half and dug deep when under intense pressure after the break. The match was affected by a very strong wind which both sides did well to overcome.

Putting together some lovely quick moves, it was Westbury who came close early on when Young set up Simon Millard whose strike was blocked by Greg Dando. Young had a good chance a few minutes later when Jason Collier retrieved Matt Mead’s deep free kick and played the ball to Young who shot into the side netting. Another Mead set piece created an opening for Millard and he brought a fine point-blank save out of Welton keeper Chris Blammon.

Rovers had a brief spell of pressure with Kai Hammond breaking on the left and crossing to Andrew Catley who looped the ball onto the roof of the net. Westbury then put together a fine attack when Millard skilfully set up Young and he turned before shooting from 20 yards with Blammon holding the ball well.

The only goal of the game came on 24 and was very well worked; Gary Tugwell did excellently on the left wing to play in Luke Stanley and he ran forward before crossing to Young who finished powerfully from close range.

Play became scrappier towards half time with the closest chance being when Shaftoe saved from Rovers’ Craig Cole, who tried his luck from long range with the wind behind him.

Welton piled men forward after the break but couldn’t create any clear chances as Westbury’s well organised, strong defending kept them at bay and, led by Mitchell’s talking and reading of the play, they held on to claim the points. Shaftoe had a few routine saves to make when Hammond and Pawley got the ball on target. The toughest piece of work he had to do was to tip the ball over the bar near the end when Pawley’s free kick from the halfway line drifted in the wind.

Millard had a great opportunity to make the win safe when Beau Blakeman sent him running into a one on one with Blammon but the keeper palmed Millard’s attempt round the post.