Headlines......

SPORTS DROP POINTS

Sunday 19th September............a poor effort from Westlands at Alvington yesterday, drawing 1-1 with Balti Sports in the Dorset Premier League. Westlands again had half a team "unavailable" and this time we didn't get away with it. Balti also had players missing so we should still have been capable of getting a result but we were just not up to it on the day. The problems started in the first minute. Westlands had a goal kick but chose to try and pass the ball around in their own penalty area. Predictably this ended in disaster with a Balti player having a tap in to put the visitors 1-0 up. Crazy start by the home team and things didn’t get much better. Although having most of the pressure in the remaining 44 minutes of the half, Westlands continually had too many touches in front of goal and too many crosses put into the keeper’s arms. Balti defended strongly with good blocking and a little help from the post on one occasion. Half-time 0-1.

Predictably Westlands came out strongly in the second half and eventually the pressure paid off, second half sub FINLAY CAULDWELL scrambling the ball in at the far post off a defender. As we got into the last 15 minutes things got a bit messy. Balti were determined to hang on to what they had and the temperature got a bit heated to say the least. In the final couple of minutes Balti nearly snatched all three points when a shot from about 25 yards out cannoned off the inside of the post. Full time 1-1 with neither side taking much credit from the game. MoM goes to Jon Manley who looked the classiest player on the park.

Line-up: Cuff: Plumley, Manley, Chorley, Ewens: McCabe, Barratt, Crisp: Payne, Martin, Park.

Subs: Houchin, Cauldwell, Mullings.

RESERVES STRUGGLE

Sunday 19th September: The Reserves ended up losing 6-3 away to Broadstone on saturday. Westlands, after conceding an early goal, fought back and were level 1-1 at half time with a JOE BOON goal. Another JOE BOON goal just after the break put Sports 2-1 up but unfortunately things then took a turn for the worse with the home team scoring 3 goals in succession to take a 4-2 lead. Westlands offered a glimmer of hope when LIAM STOBBS made it 4-3 but Broadstone made sure of victory with two late goals to make it 6-3. A bit of a 2nd half collapse by Westlands, conceding 5 goals, so a bit of a step backwards after two narrow defeats.

MIXED FORTUNES

Tuesday 14th September.............our other two senior teams had mixed fortunes over the weekend with one win and one defeat. On saturday the reserves played away at Tisbury in the Dorset Senior League and came home pointless after a narrow 2-1 defeat. Westlands had a slow start and conceded two goals from set pieces but the second half saw significant improvement and a well taken goal from new signing MITCHELL PRICE-BERRIDGE put us back in the game. Unfortunately Sports were unable to grab an equaliser, just lacking a bit of composure in front of goal. This is the second one goal defeat in their two games this season and shows progress is being made in the rebuilding job being undertaken by the new managemant team.

On sunday the Under 18s took on Stoke in the Somerset Under 18 League and managed to nick a 3-2 victory. Stoke's wing play was causing us problems and two goals from crosses in the first half left us 2-1 down at half time, Sports goal courtesy of an OG. A couple of good goals from MAX FAHEY and LEWIS PERRY inspired a good Westlands fight back in the second half although they lived dangerously at times with Stoke missing several sitters when players ran clean through the Westlands defence. Nevertheless a good start to the season for the Under 18s.

BACK ON TRACK

Sunday 12th September.............definitely a game of two halves at Alvington as a late flurry by the visitors brightened up a match that had looked a bit one sided in the first half. Again a much changed Westlands team took the field with unavailables adding to the normal injuries and suspensions. After a an even opening period Westlands opened the scoring in the 14^th minute when MALIK KAMAL controlled the ball with his back to goal, managed to turn despite the close attention of the Bournemouth keeper and fire the ball into the back of the net from close range. Westlands quickly followed up with a second goal, a 20 yard dipping free kick from DUNCAN McCABE that flew into the far corner. Westlands were in charge now and a thumping header from STEVE ORMROD from a corner made it 3-0 after 30 minutes. Finally, a minute before half time, DUNCAN McCABE smashed a trademark low drive into the net from 20 yards to make it 4-0 at half time.

In the second half, Bournemouth, with nothing to lose, rolled up their sleeves and upped their game, taking control of the midfield. With a passive Westlands seemingly happy to protect what they had it was the visitors who did most of the pressing. However Bournemouth were unable to convert their pressure into goals although Westlands tendancy to overplay at the back did present them with a few chances. Eventually, with only 4 minutes left, a jersey tug at a corner gave Bournemouth the chance to reduce the arrears and their centre forward Jack Voisey duly slotted in the penalty. Finally in the dying seconds Bournemouth's Jack Voisey scored again with a neat header when unmarked at the far post. That made it a more realistic score line as Bournemouth had played well despite that first half. From Westlands point of view another patchy performance but another welcome three points. Duncan McCabe gets the MoM for two cracking goals and a tidy performance in midfield.

Line-up: Cuff: Plumley, Manley, Green, Howchin: McCabe, Kamal, Barratt: Martin, Ormrod, Park.

Subs: Payne, Mullings, Crisp.

Cup Draws.......

Dorset Premier League Cup, Rnd 2: 

Saturday 25th September, 2.30pm kick-off : WESTLAND SPORTS v Swanage Town

Somerset Senior Cup, Rnd 2:

Saturday 2nd October, 2.30pm kick-off : WESTLAND SPORTS v Chilcompton

Recent Results.......

Saturday 18th Sept, Dorset Premier League: WESTLAND SPORTS 1 Balti Sports 1

Saturday 18th Sept, Dorset Senior League: Broadstone 6  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 3

Next Matches......

Saturday 25th Sept, DPL Cup, Rnd 2: WESTLAND SPORTS v Swanage Town

Kick-off 2.30pm at Alvington Lane, Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8UX

Saturday 18th Sept, Dorset Senior League: WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES - no game

Sunday 19th Sept, Somerset U18 League: Ruishton v WESTLAND SPORTS

Kick-off 2.30pm at Creech St Michael Rec, Hyde Lane, Creech St Michael, Taunton, TA3 5DW

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