Report

Westbury shook off their three week break with a resounding win at second from bottom Wellington and took their winning run to 4 consecutive matches.  Mark Young worked tirelessly throughout the game and got his just reward with an excellent hat trick. Luke Stanley added the other goal in a match which despite having five goals had relatively few scoring chances.

On a surprisingly warm and sunny afternoon the play got off to a fast start but attacking play broke down at both ends as the teams defended well. There were few attempts in the first half. On 20 minutes Wellington’s Dale Webber volleyed over the bar after being set up by Ian Machattie and then with half time nearing home danger man Marcello Akakpo showed good pace before setting up Webber who brought a fine fingertip save out of Alex Shaftoe. As play switched to the other end Bobby Mitchell and Stanley combined to set up Matt Mead and it took strong defending by Ollie Feltham to deny the Westbury forward.

The opening goal came on 54 and was just what United deserved after a strong start to thesecond half.  Young and Mead played a one-two which allowed Young a run into a one on one situation and, with just home keeper Mick Parker to beat, he finished excellently.

A period of scrappy play followed and for a long time it seemed there would just be a single goal in the game; however that all changed with a rush of action in the closing 18 minutes.  Young notched his second strike on 72 when a corner kick curled straight into the net catching out Parker and one of his defenders.

Wellington hit back immediately to give themselves a chance of trying to snatch a point when Paul Pocock set up Stuart Gould who hit a brilliant half volley beyond Shaftoe.

Westbury didn’t panic and instead went on the attack to restore their two-goal advantage.  Shaftoe sent a direct kick forward which the home defence allowed to bounce and Stanley ran on to the ball before sending an accurate lob over the advancing Parker to make it 1-3.

With time running out and the hosts pouring men forward in search of a lifeline, substitute Tarick Yachou broke on the right wing and, seeing Young completely unmarked in the middle, played the ball square which allowed Young another clear run on goal and he took his time before planting it into Parker’s lower left hand corner.