WESTLAND SPORTS F.C.

CLUB ARCHIVE

MATCH REPORTS 2016-17

FIRST TEAM

 

       

Saturday 29th April 2017, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 3  WAREHAM RANGERS 1

After two cracking away performances at Holt and Gillingham we were hoping to finish the season in style on the home pitch. The weather was fine again but with a fresh wind blowing down the pitch from end to end.

Westlands had a couple of changes, Sam Watts was back between the sticks with 16 year old Tom Budden coming in to make his first team debut at centre half in Sam’s place. Henry Lawrence-Napier was missing so Josh Payne started out wide right with Jamie Irwin (another 16 year old !) moving to centre midfield. Jamie Green was back on the bench after his magnificent run in the London Marathon and he was joined by Nat Carney and Matt Phillips.

Leo Hayward stretched his legs early on with a good run and shot that the Wareham keeper saved fairly easily. The game was a bit scrappy, Westlands were finding it difficult to put their passing together and Wareham were next to create a chance when their forward shot just past the post after 12 minutes. In the 20th minute, the visitor’s lanky centre forward chased a long ball into Westland’s penalty box. Sam Watts raced out and dived at his feet in an attempt to gather the ball. As often happens the forward just got a touch to the ball before he was sent tumbling. Penalty kick said the ref and I don’t think there was much protest from the Westlands players. The kick was on target and well struck, but perhaps a little bit close to the keeper and Sam dived to his right to smother the ball. Spurred by this let off Sports went on the attack and a great run down the left by Leo Hayward carved open the Wareham defence. The final ball across gave Josh Payne an open goal but he had a swipe and missed his kick completely. This error was punished only 3 minutes later when Wareham took the lead. Their centre forward was about 6’ 2” so when a cross came over it was disappointing that he had a free header which he planted into the net. Some ball watching there by the Westlands defence had cost us dearly. Sports tried to rally, in 32 minutes a long ball by Leo Hayward put Josh Payne away down the right. Josh cut in but the keeper came out to block his final shot. A big Wareham defender was then involved in a nasty collision and looked to be out cold for a few minutes. Eventually, after some treatment he was helped off covered in blood. A tough lad as he returned to the fray a few minutes later with a fresh shirt and later on had to change that one ! Then there was a bit of a scramble in the Wareham penalty box ending with the ball falling to Elliot Mann but he shot straight at the keeper who was getting in the way of everything at the moment. Then Elliot put a free kick over the wall but again the keeper saved !

That was the last action in what was a rather frustrating half for Westlands. We had never reached the heights of the previous two games but the positive thought was that we would surely improve in the second half.

A bit of drama at half time as the referee succumbed to an Achilles injury and had to retire. Senior assistant Dave Moore took over with a member of the Wareham management (who is a qualified referee) taking over on the line. Strangely, that’s the second game in a row we have had a referee retired injured !

Jamie Irwin was carrying an injury so he was the first to be replaced with Nat Carney coming on. Westlands looked a bit more purposeful now, Elliot Mann put over a good cross that a defender put just past his own goal. Then Dwayne Forshaw made a good run and forced a corner but that was cleared. In the 54th minute Leo Hayward turned his man and shot but the keeper saved. Four minutes later Josh Payne dribbled past two Wareham defenders out on the right and squared to Dwayne Forshaw right in front of goal. Dwayne took a swing with his right foot and missed the ball completely. The ball then hit his other leg and rolled out to Nat Carney who had the goal at his mercy but he leant back and ballooned the ball way over the top. On the hour mark Josh Payne again beat his man and crossed but there was no home player there to cash in. A couple of minutes later Elliot Mann blasted a shot from the edge of the box over the top. This was getting silly now and with over an hour gone we needed a bit of composure in front of goal. In the 65th minute, at last we got the equaliser. Sam Plumley put a cross over from the right and ELLIOT MANN banged it in from 12 yards out. A huge sigh of relief from the home spectators but now we were looking for another goal to win the game. Leo Hayward almost got it when he cut in from the left onto his right foot and curled a lovely shot round the keeper that came off the far post. With 73 minutes gone a wonderful goal put Sports ahead. LEO HAYWARD ran on to a nice ball from Phil Wells down the left wing. Leo beat his man (twice !), cut in along the bye line, beat another man, and as the keeper blocked his path at the near post he managed to squeeze the ball past him into the net. What a goal, one of the best solo efforts seen at Alvington this season ! Wareham then made an unusual change with the goalkeeper coming out of goal and the big centre forward donning the gloves. Then Westlands forced a corner Matt Watson put over the bar. Wareham created a good chance and a rasping shot just flew over the top. In the 84th minute came the goal that wrapped up the points. A good interchange of passes between Elliot Mann and JOSH PAYNE gave Josh a clear shot at goal and he buried it from 15yards. That really was that but in the dying minutes both teams made chances. Jamie Green, who had come on for Dwayne Forshaw, put a good ball across the face of goal but no takers. Then Nat Carney put a shot just wide of the goal and finally Wareham had a good shot that that  went just wide.

That was the end of a rather frustrating game for Westlands as numerous chances were squandered but the lads stuck at it and we got there in the end. There were positives to take from the game, Tom Budden had an excellent debut at centre half looking very composed and the victory made it a fine run of 8 games unbeaten for Westlands to end the season.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award, goes to LEO HAYWARD for a powerful performance up front for Westlands. A brilliant goal and another great effort that came off the post topped off an impressive performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.T.Budden 6.J.Irwin 7.J.Payne 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10.E.Mann 11.D.Forshaw 12.N.Carney 14.J.Green 15.M.Phillips

Saturday 22nd April 2017, Dorset Premier League

HOLT UTD 4  WESTLAND SPORTS 6

What a day for Westlands, we beat the newly crowned league champions on their home turf, had a man sent off before half time, knocked in six goals against a side who have never conceded more than three home or away all season, and we remain undefeated against them having drawn the first game 2-2 at Alvington.

We arrived at Petersham Lane in lovely spring sunshine and there was a buzz around the Westlands team as they warmed up. We had a strong side out, only one change from the side that demolished Gillingham, Luke Silcox replacing Louis Martin in goal. Josh Payne and Jamie Irwin returned to the squad so we had a strong bench as well and the lads were determined to put on a show. We were having a good run and had played well at Gillingham last week so confidence was high. Holt showed their hand by complaining before the match they had players missing so they were getting their excuses in early which showed perhaps they didn’t fancy it today after having wrapped up the league title last weekend.

Westlands were certainly up for it and were pressing the home side straight from the off. Sam Watts pinged a long free kick out to Dwayne Forshaw who cut inside his man onto his right foot but the final shot was weak and easily saved. The opening goal came after only 6 minutes on the clock. Westlands keeper Luke Silcox threw the ball out to Elliot Mann in Westlands half and he looked up and put the perfect ball over the square Holt back four to set LEO HAYWARD free. Leo showed some good composure as he coolly lobbed the advancing keeper to put Sports  one up. We were well on top and hunting for more goals. After quarter of an hour a quick free kick by Will Ireland caught the Holt defence napping and put Leo Hayward away down the left. As the keeper came out Leo drilled the ball past him but it hit the far post and bounced out. Five minutes later Leo again cut in from the left and forced a corner. It was a deep one, Sam Watts rose and headed it back across goal to Matt Watson who headed it over the bar from 5 yards out. Next chance for Westlands was a free kick just outside the box that Louis Irwin put over the top. The first 20 minutes had been all Westlands but the home side now started to have a bit of possession and Sports were a bit fortunate when a Holt player scuffed his shot when in a good position. Then a Holt corner fell to their player but he blasted his shot well over the bar. Although the home team were now enjoying some pressure their tactic was fairly predictable, get the ball into the box to their big number nine to try and knock down. However with Sports young centre half partners both being well over 6 feet tall we were mopping up most of the crosses. When they did create a chance their shooting was off target so the Westlands keeper hadn’t been tested. In the 29th minute, however, disaster struck for our goalie when he presented Holt with an equaliser. Luke Silcox came out to the corner of the penalty area to clear a long ball and completely missed his kick giving the opposition player the easy job of steering the ball into the empty net. A bad error, but these things happen and with Westlands still looking the more likely side to score, there was no cause for alarm. And, just 3 minutes after the equaliser, we scored again ! Sam Plumley sent a pass down the right wing to Henry Lawrence-Napier who took on the defender, got to the byeline and drove a low ball across the goalmouth that DWAYNE FORSHAW turned in at the far post. Five minutes later, in the 37th minute, things got even better with the third goal. Louis Irwin drove into the Holt penalty box and was completely wiped out by a defender. No doubt about it, a certain penalty and we waited to see who would take it as we had missed one a couple of weeks ago at Bridport. This time DWAYNE FORSHAW stepped up and drilled his shot into the bottom corner to make the score 3-1 to Westlands. Holt were rattled into action and created a couple of chances but again their final shots were well off target. Just before the break we had another good chance to extend our lead when their keeper inexplicably picked up a pass back from his defender giving Sports an indirect free kick out to the right side of the posts. The ball was rolled back to Elliot Mann whose high shot was clawed away by the kepper for a corner. As the corner was cleared away there was a skirmish in the Holt penalty area and after consulting with his assistant, the referee showed Matt Watson the red card. Apparently a Holt player grabbed hold of Louis Irwin by the face and Matt ran over and pulled him off, pushing the player to the ground. The referee did not see any of the incident and relied on his assistant to make a decision. The assistant apparently did not see the whole incident but turned round in time to see Matt Watson’s action. It all looked a bit like ‘handbags’ to me and I think the red card was harsh. As often happens the initiator of the incident goes scot free and the retaliator gets punished. That brought a rather unsavoury end to a half that had been an excellent one for Westands.

We had a two goal lead to protect and, facing the league champions on their own pitch with only ten men, it was going to be a tough task but we knew they were vulnerable at the back so the feeling was we could score again.

We didn’t want concede an early goal, so with Will Ireland dropping in to centre-half, we defended well for the opening ten minutes of the half and then rocked the home side with another good goal. Henry Lawrence-Napier picked up a poor clearance from the Holt keeper and slid a nice pass to LEO HAYWARD who ran in, drew the keeper, and drilled the ball into the far corner for a text book finish. At 4-1 we now had a good lead to defend but Holt had nothing to lose now and for a while it was backs to the wall defending for Westlands. In the 60th minute they pulled one back and it was an annoying goal to lose. We conceded a soft free kick just outside the penalty box and a Holt player seemed to have plenty of room to put the ball past the near side of the wall into the net with the keeper rooted to the spot. That goal seemed too easy, was the wall lined up properly? Anyway it was done and the manager responded by replacing Leo Hayward with Josh Payne to give us some fresh legs up front. But we had more defending to do as Holt forced a corner down the left. These set pieces were dangerous now that we were missing the height of Matt Watson and this one was scrambled away for another corner. When this one came over a Holt player was unmarked at the far post and he powered a header into the net to make it 4-3. Some teams may have just caved in at that point but Sports stuck to the task and managed to stem the tide. Holt were falling into the trap of just pumping long balls forward from the back rather than getting it out wide to stretch our defence so with the wide men able to tuck in we were managing to deal with the pressure quite well. In the 75th minute Westlands struck again. Jamie Irwin had just come on to replace Elliott Mann and he cut inside with the ball and sprayed it out to Dwayne Forshaw on the left wing. Dwayne attacked the Holt defence, got to the bye line and drilled over a cross that JOSH PAYNE side footed in at the far post. What a goal and it gave Sports some breathing space again at 5-3. With Westlands enjoying a bit of possession, we were then caught on the break when a long ball over the top put their number 10 in the clear and he lobbed Luke Silcox to make it 5-4 and game on again ! It was going to be a long ten minutes until the final whistle but we finished the game off in the 88th minute when we restored our two goal lead. Sam Watts took a quick free kick and put JOSH PAYNE sprinting off down the left touchline. Josh outpaced a defender and cut in on goal where he was challenged by the onrushing keeper. Somehow Josh managed to bundle the ball past him and, with defenders closing in, he thumped the ball into the far corner of the net. Great celebrations from the Westlands players and, in overtime, we almost rubbed salt in their wounds when the Holt keeper duffed another clearance to Jamie Irwin whose shot over the keeper’s head went just wide of the far post.

A 6-4 victory was a superb result and it was well deserved as every one of the thirteen players had given everything for the team to make sure we came through in the end. The only thing that left a bit of a nasty taste was that red card that will mean Matt will now miss three games at the start of next season which, in my opinion, is not a just punishment for what actually took place. Luckily it did not cost us the game but on another day the whole outcome of the match could be decided on a decision like that so early in the game. However, nothing will take away the pleasure of the result for Westlands which takes our unbeaten run to nine matches.

Again this week it is almost impossible to select a Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award, but SAM WATTS gets it for a dogged performance at centre half. Robbed of his centre back partner at half time he battled away in the second half ably supported by Will Ireland to keep Holt at bay. Although out on his feet at the end he still had the ingenuity to take that quick free kick that put Josh Payne away to score the sixth goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Silcox 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.S.Watts 6.H.Lawrence-Napier 7.E.Mann 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10.L.Irwin 11.D.Forshaw 12.J.Payne 14.J.Irwin 15.B.Cochrane

Saturday 15th April 2017, Dorset Premier League

GILLINGHAM TOWN RES  2  WESTLAND SPORTS  5

A fine afternoon at Harding’s Lane but a fresh wind was blowing down the slope which may make things interesting. Sports won the toss and skipper Will Ireland chose to shoot downhill with the wind so obviously we would need to make our advantage count in the first 45 before we turned round. Sports line up was changed a bit with Louis Martin taking over in goal allowing regular stopper Sam Watts to fill the centre half spot which has been a bit of a problem since Scott Smith’s injury. Sam played centre half in his Under 18 days so we knew he wouldn’t have a problem playing there. Also Jamie Irwin was ill and a non starter so Elliot Mann moved out to a wide right position to fill the gap.

From the kick off Westlands hit the opposition with a whirlwind start, winning every ball and driving down the slope with fast passing and movement. Gillingham were struggling to cope already and conceded the first corner after a couple of minutes and Henry Lawrence-Napier almost opened Westland’s account, shooting just past the post. The opening goal came after only 4 minutes play. The ball was played into LEO HAYWARD just outside the penalty area slightly to the right of goal and he drilled a low shot into the far corner of the net. Westlands were pressing forward all the time, not allowing the Gillingham defenders to take the ball from the keeper and play out from the back. Subsequently all they could do was punt it long and our young centre back pairing of Matt Watson and Sam Watts were gobbling these up. The second goal came in the 12th minute and was the result of some really good build up play. Henry Lawrence-Napier won the ball in midfield and played a lovely reverse pass to Louis Irwin that took two Gillingham players out the game. Louis drove on and drew a defender before passing the ball on to LEO HAYWARD on the edge of the box in a similar position to where he scored the opener. Leo stepped inside onto his left foot and drilled another shot into the far corner with the help of a bit of a deflection on the way. This was going well and there was no stopping Sports now, they were relentless, and the opposition were reeling. In the 20th minute Henry Lawrence-Napier picked out Leo Hayward on the far side and he took on the full back and crossed low and hard to the far post where DWAYNE FORSHAW hooked the ball into the net at full stretch. Twenty minutes gone, 3-0 to Westlands and there was more to come ! Five minutes later Sports were awarded a free kick out on the right wing. Elliot Mann drove the kick low and hard to the front post where HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER dived full length to plant a header into the net. Gillingham were reeling and in the 28th minute we made it five ! Leo Hayward delivered a corner to the near post where SAM WATTS flicked the ball with his head and it sailed into the far corner. Unbelievable, 28 minutes gone and 5-0 in the lead was beyond our wildest hopes. But then, only a couple of minutes after scoring the fifth goal we conceded one. A soft free kick was given away and when the ball came into the box the Westlands players stood still and a Gillingham player ran in to score easily from close range. That was a poor goal to lose and gave us something to reflect on over the half time break.

It was a half that had gone really well for us. The tactics on the day were spot on and executed almost perfectly by the players who had not given the opposition an sniff in that opening half hour blitz. So, while the players enjoyed the praise of the management at half time there was also the recognition that things would be different in the second half when we had to kick up the slope into the wind.

Gillingham were obviously fired up by their management at half time and were looking a bit more competitive in the second half. But the first attempt at goal came from a Henry Lawrence-Napier, a dipping shot from 40 yards that went just wide. Then in the 53rd minute Elliott Mann put Leo Hayward away down the right wing and his cross to the far post was picked up by Dwayne Forshaw whose shot was well saved by the keeper, diving to turn it round the post. Then a huge kick by Sports keeper Louis Martin caught the Gillingham defence by surprise and Louis Irwin almost made them pay, shooting over the bar. Then the home team pulled one back in the 60th minute with an opportunist goal. The ball was played down the left and when it came across the crowded box their player quickly turned and hammered the ball into the roof of the net. That made it 5-2 but didn’t signal a comeback by the home side as Westlands were still in control. Most of keeper Louis Martin’s work was picking up long balls down the hill which were just running through to him due to Sports defence playing a high line. Westlands were still looking dangerous and another corner in the 75th minute saw Matt Watson head over the top. Then Henry Lawrence-Napier went on a mazy run, beating three defenders, before his final shot was turned over the bar for a corner. Dwayne Forshaw being replaced by Matt Phillips in the 80th minute signalled that Westlands thought the job was done. And so it was although Louis Irwin still had time to blaze a shot over the bar after he was set up by Elliot Mann.

The main subject of discussion after the game was that first half hour by Westlands which showed what we are capable of when we get it right. Everything went to plan and the management instructions were on the money and executed perfectly.

Every player deserves mention as there were no failures in an outstanding team display. Louis Martin looked the part in goal as did Sam Watts at centre half. The midfield were all outstanding, winning all the tackles and setting up attack after attack. Leo Hayward was back to his best as well and the management team also played their part in the victory. So, all in all, a very difficult day to pick a man of the match but after consultations with numerous people, the Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER for another outstanding performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.S.Watts 6.H.Lawrence-Napier 7.E.Mann 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10.L.Irwin 11.D.Forshaw 12.B.Cochrane 14.M.Phillips 15.J.Green

Saturday 8th April 2017, Dorset Premier League

BRIDPORT RES  3  WESTLAND SPORTS  3

The Westlands team sheet was shuffled around again as we searched for the best formation. Sam Watts returned to goalkeeping duties and Jamie Irwin, Louis Irwin and Leo Hayward replaced Ben Cochrane, Josh Payne and Luke Silcox. No obvious replacement for Scott Smith there but a strong 11 nevertheless who lined up against a youthful looking Bridport side.

The sun was splitting the skies as the game started and both teams looked in holiday mood early on as neither side could string more than 2 passes together. Sports had the most possession but couldn’t do anything with it and Bridport hadn’t offered anything so far. Until the 17th minute that was, and then they opened the scoring with their first attempt on target. Westlands made a hash of three attempted clearances before the ball fell to their unmarked centre forward about 12 yards out. Sam Watts rushed out and dived at his feet but the Bridport player managed to toe-poke the ball under his body and it trickled into the far corner. Sports tried to come back into it but were slow to get the ball forward and with the home side quickly getting men behind the ball, it was a bit of a stalemate. In the 25th minute Jamie Irwin was tripped on the edge of the box and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Then, after speaking to the linesman, he changed his mind and awarded us a free kick on the edge of the box. Elliot Mann put a great delivery across the face of the goal but there were no takers in Westland’s colours. We were looking a bit disorganised with our midfield dropping too deep and allowing space for Bridport to push forward and make inroads into our half. Nevertheless, they didn’t really create any chances until we decided to give them another helping hand in the 40th minute. A soft free kick was conceded 25 yards from goal and a Bridport player smacked it straight into the top corner. Things were looking bad and took a turn for the worse 3 minutes later. Phil Wells lunged forward to try and block a shot just inside the edge of the box. The ball hit his arm that was in front of his body and the referee awarded a penalty. The same Bridport player that had scored the free kick now drilled in the spot kick to make the score 3-0 to the home side.

It was a shell-shocked Westlands team that trecked back to the changing rooms at half time as a three goal deficit was not what we had expected. It was going to take a huge effort to turn this around but we knew we had played poorly in the first half so we could improve on that showing considerably in the second period. We also knew Bridport probably didn’t have much more to offer than they had shown in the first half and we felt the breaks had gone their way so perhaps that would even itself out. In addition, the home side probably thought the game was won so if we got at them straight away perhaps we could get back into the game.

Things looked better straight away in the second half as Westlands, with the managers words still ringing in their ears, got first to the ball and put the home side under pressure straight away. We forced a corner and piled men into the box but it was scrambled away for another corner. This time a good delivery found the head of MATT WATSON who headed home to give Sports that early goal we wanted. A few minutes later, Matt Watson again caused havoc in the Bridport defence at another corner but this time he just couldn’t connect with the ball and it fell to Dwayne Forshaw who shot just wide of the far post. In the 58th minute good work by Jamie Irwin down the right put Sam Plumley in but he shot straight at the keeper when perhaps a square ball to a team-mate may have paid dividends. Five minutes later Matt Watson barged into a Bridport player on the edge of the area and, for the third time in the match, the referee pointed to the spot ! Sam Watts dived to his right to parry the spot kick and then dived again to smother the loose ball and complete a fantastic save. A really important stop as to go three goals behind again would have been a big blow. Westlands immediately attacked down at the other end and Louis Irwin had a rather weak header easily saved. But it was Louis who set up Westlands second goal in the 68th minute. He won possession out on the left, turned the defender inside out and drilled over a cross that LEO HAYWARD met on the volley and smashed the ball into the corner of the net. What a goal and with the score now 3-2 it was game on ! We kept pressing and in the 78th minute Matt Watson was pulled down in the box and once again, yes, the referee pointed to the spot ! Leo Hayward stepped up to take it but a delay while the Bridport players protested and while the official decided whether the ball was correctly placed on the spot doesn’t help and when Leo eventually took the kick his shot was on target but a bit close to the keeper and he dived to make a good save. With Bridport clinging on to their one goal lead and the clock beginning to run out, we wondered if we had missed our opportunity. Then with 3 minutes to go DWAYNE FORSHAW ran on to a long ball down the middle and, with no support, he ran at the two remaining Bridport defenders. Turning inside onto his right foot he tried a shot which was blocked but he picked up the rebound and rifled a low shot into the corner of the net from 18 yards. What a brilliant solo effort and with the scores level now Westlands sensed an unlikely victory may just be possible with 3 minutes still to play. Unfortunately, it was not to be although Elliott Mann scooped a shot over the bar in the dying seconds.

A great fight back by Westlands to get back to 3-3 but our post-match celebrations were a bit muted as we knew we had almost let it slip with a poor first half. We have often said there are no easy games, particularly away from home, and possibly our lads were expecting to win today after our excellent form of late. The referee was stringent in his interpretation of the rules, as we knew he would be, but some of our players let this distract them at times which does not help.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to DWAYNE FORSHAW. After a fairly quiet first half Dwayne gave the Bridport defence a hard time after the break and that equalising solo effort with just minutes to play was absolutely brilliant and well worth the award on its own.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.H.Lawrence-Napier 6.W.Ireland 7.J.Irwin 8.L.Irwin 9.L.Hayward 10.E.Mann 11.D.Forshaw 12.B.Cochrane 14.M.Phillips

Saturday 1st April 2017, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS  4  BLANDFORD UTD  1

A few changes to the the starting line-up this week for the visit of Blandford. With Scott Smith and Leo Hayward injured and Jamie Irwin unavailable, Sports drafted in Luke Silcox in goal, Ben Cochrane at centre half with regular keeper Sam Watts lining up with Dwayne Forshaw in the midfield.

Westlands looked sharp from the off and quickly forced the first corner of the game in the 4th minute. Dwayne Forshaw got on the end of the kick but his shot flew just wide. Then Josh Payne made a good run to the byeline and cut the ball back to Sam Watts but his shot was deflected just wide of the far post for another corner. From this one Sam Watts got up highest but his header went just over the bar. Sports were piling on the pressure and went ahead in the 7th minute. Elliot Mann deliverd a driven corner into the box and MATT WATSON was on the spot to head in. Poor marking this by the visitor’s defence considering Matt is the tallest player in our team but well finished just the same.  Westlands had their tails up now and went 2-0 up a minute later. A good run down the left by Dwayne Forshaw ended with his shot being blocked but the rebound fell to ELLIOT MANN and he thumped it into the back of the net. Westlands were playing some lovely football now and another good move down the right wing saw Elliot Mann slip in Josh Payne who hit a good shot just wide of the far post. In the 21st minute a well worked free kick almost brought the third goal. Elliot Mann slid the ball square to Phil Wells whose netbound piledriver hit Josh Payne and was deflected away. Two minutes later an Elliot Mann shot was just too high as Sports continued to press. With Westlands in control Blandford were struggling to get into the game but they did have a good effort in the 25th minute when a header from a corner went just wide. That gave the visitors a bit of heart and as Westlands intensity dropped a bit they began to have a bit more possession and pushed forward into the Westlands half. But they weren’t really giving Luke Silcox in the Westlands goal any real problems and indeed it was Sports who scored again just before the break. In the 44th minute to be exact a poor kick-out by the Blandford keeper was picked up by JOSH PAYNE who ran in and thumped the ball into the net to make the score 3-0 to Westlands. Bizarrely, a minute later he scuffed another goal kick straight to Josh who this time smashed a shot over his head that cannoned off the crossbar. Elliot Mann picked up the rebound and shot for goal but by this time the keeper had recovered his composure and made the save.

Half-time reflections were that it had been a cracking first 30 minutes for Westlands when they had played some good possession football and cashed in with those two early goals. In the final 15 minutes the visitors had come more into the game but that third goal by Josh Payne just before the break had surely given Sports an unassailable lead.

Any hopes of a Blandford fight back were quickly quashed in the 46th minute when HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER glanced in another well delivered Elliott Mann free kick with his head to make it 4-0. The game got a bit scrappy after that but the next goal came in the 50th minute when Blandford’s centre forward was pulled down in the box and their skipper stepped up and drilled in the spot kick. Westlands responded with a good run into the box by Elliot Mann but his final shot went into the side net. We then had a bit of a hold-up as referee Linda Lindskog had to retire feeling unwell (probably earache as a result of all the moaning by the players) and one of the Assistants took her place in the middle. The game had really deteriorated now and was becoming a boring procession of fouls and misplaced passes. Max Rowswell had a couple of shots, one past the post and one easily saved by the keeper and that was about all the notable action before the referee blew the final whistle and put an end to our suffering.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to ELLIOT MANN for a classy and hard working performance as a deep lying centre forward. He was always in space to receive the ball and he usually used it to good effect. He took his goal well and set up two others with excellent deliveries into the box so a good game all round.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Silcox 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.B.Cochrane 6.H.Lawrence-Napier 7.J.Payne 8.W.Ireland 9.E.Mann 10.S.Watts 11. D.Forshaw 12.M. Mattravers 14.M.Phillips 15.M.Rowswell

Saturday 18th Mar 2017, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS  2  PARLEY SPORTS  1

Parley had put 5 past us on their ground earlier in the season so we were looking for a bit of revenge this time round. Centre half Scott Smith was unavailable and Matt Phillips deputised, with Jamie Irwin returning to replace Dwayne Forshaw in midfield. The weather was fine, if a bit chilly, and the pitch was in reasonable nick for this time of year.

Parley were certainly quick out the blocks and they set about Westlands from the kick off. In the fifth minute a real let-off for the home team. A shot was deflect away from goal. A Parley player picked up the rebound and had another go. This time Westlands keeper Sam Watts palmed the ball up onto the crossbar and it was scrambled away. It took Westlands about 15 minutes to get their act together and create a chance. A Henry Lawrence-Napier pass put Leo Hayward in behind the Parley defence and he powered into the box with only the keeper to beat. The chance was there for a shot but Leo delayed, then tried to go round the onrushing keeper, and was eventually crowded out by a combination of the keeper and a covering defender. That attack seemed to inspire Westlands and a couple of minutes later a quick throw in taken out on the right gave Josh Payne the chance to run in on goal but his final shot  flew just past the far post. Despite these chances Westlands weren’t really creating a lot with a lot of aimless punts from the back just giving away possession. After half an hour Matt Phillips picked up a yellow card which is not a good thing for a centre half under pressure and with 60 minutes of the game still to play. In the 31st minute a Parley set piece move from a free kick ended with a decent attempt which flew past the post. We were still struggling and a minute later we went behind. The ball was played into the Westland’s box, a Parley attacker laid it back to a team mate whose shot found the back of the net via Sam Watts hand. That was no more than we deserved at this stage but we did rally a bit and managed to get to half-time with no more damage done.

Not a good first half for Westlands but with only a one goal deficit there were still chances for Westlands as we have some firepower going forward so if we could start getting some control of the ball and giving our strikers some service, we could still turn this match around.

A half time substitution saw player/coach Ben Cochrane replace Matt Phillips at the back for Westlands.

An early ball forward saw a poor attempt at a headed clearance from a Westlands defender which let a Parley forward in and Sam Watts had to save the day, turning the shot round for a corner. Despite this early scare, Westlands were looking much better this half and at last we were beginning to string some passes together. This paid off in the 50th minute with the equalising goal. Josh Payne made a good run down the right, got to the byeline and fired over a low cross which JAMIE IRWIN turned in at the near post. A good striker’s goal from Jamie, making the right run and timing it perfectly. That goal put Westlands tails up and we began to dominate the game and put some sustained pressure on our opponents. In the 63rd minute a perfectly flighted long ball over the top by Elliot Mann put Leo Hayward in behind the Parley defence but the keeper managed to block his final shot. In the 70th minute Louis Irwin was introduced in place of Henry Lawrence-Napier as Westlands looked to find a way through. Two minutes later an excellent passing move opened up the Parley defence and Leo Hayward’s attempt was deflected for a corner. Then came the breakthrough in the 75th minute. Elliott Mann let fly with a cracking shot from 20 yards that the keeper did well to tip round the post. From the corner Ben Cochrane’s header was netbound until cleared off the line but the ball fell kindly to JOSH PAYNE and he blasted the ball from 18 yards into the net off the underside of the bar. What a goal and well deserved after Westlands second half fight back. Parley immediately tried to hit back and Sam Watts had to be alert to turn a wind-assisted free kick over the bar. Back up at the other end a good run by Jamie Irwin gave him a good shooting chance but he just hesitated and got closed down. With 10 minutes to go Westlands made their final substitution with Dwayne Forshaw coming on in place of Leo Hayward to give us fresh legs up front. As usual, Leo had worked hard in his lone role up front and he was given a nice round of applause as he left the field. Being a goal behind and with time running out, Parley threw men forward and forced a couple of corners which Westlands managed to defend. A shot then flew over Sam Watts bar and the final action saw a Parley free kick fly just over. A spirited late attempt by the visitors to get back on level terms but the final whistle consigned the points to Westlands.

A narrow victory but after a poor first half we had turned things around so a welcome win to keep our good recent run going.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week is a tight one to call but JOSH PAYNE gets the nod for that stunning winning goal plus his assist for our equaliser.

An interesting nomination for man of the match was Steve, a visiting groundhopper from Cricklewood in London who had made the journey down by train to Yeovil Junction, bus into Yeovil and then taxi to Alvington Lane ! As we were supping our post match pints he was making the return journey home, hope he enjoyed the game !

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.M.Phillips 6. H.Lawrence-Napier 7.J.Payne 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10. E.Mann 11. J.Irwin 12. D.Forshaw 14.L.Irwin 15.B.Cochrane 16.J.Green

Saturday 11th Mar 2017, Dorset Premier League

HAMWORTHY UTD RES 0  WESTLAND SPORTS  4

Our first match on a 3G pitch this week at the County Ground and we can have no complaints as we came back with the three points after a 4-0 victory. The surface is excellent, firm with a lush covering of “grass” and certainly encourages passing football. There was one change in the Westlands line up from last week with Dwayne Forshaw returning from injury to replace Jamie Irwin.

Westlands started fast, as per the manager’s instructions, and forced a corner in the first minute, but it was headed clear. The home team now began to show some neat passing and movement but they didn’t manage to threaten the Sports goal. In fact, the first shot at goal from either side came in the 15th minute when Leo Hayward had a pop which went wide. The home team were having plenty of possession but their final pass just wasn’t good enough whereas Westlands attacks always carried more threat. In the 22nd minute Henry Lawrence-Napier got his head to a corner but his goal-bound effort was headed off the line. Ten minutes later, in the 32nd minute, we took the lead and a lovely goal it was. Sam Plumley strode out of defence across the half way line and picked out

LEO HAYWARD with a defence splitting pass. Leo ran through in the inside left position and drove a left footed shot across the keeper into the far corner. A well executed goal and with the home team rocking we almost made it two a few minutes later. Matt Watson put a great ball over the top to Leo Hayward who raced clear of the Hamworthy defence. As the keeper dashed out, Leo took the ball round him and squared it across goal for Elliot Mann but his shot was blocked by a last ditch lunge from a defender. From the resulting corner Matt Watson got a header in but it went wide of the target. A free kick for Hamworthy in the 40th minute brought their best chance of the half but their player put a free header wide. A minute later Westlands scored again when the Hamworthy keeper made a hash of a goal kick  putting it straight to Josh Payne about 30 yards out. Josh headed the ball down to Sam Plumley who quickly delivered it forward to LEO HAYWARD who drove into the box, this time in the inside right position. Once again we had a clinical finish with Leo thumping a right foot shot across the keeper into the far corner. A repeat of the first goal but a mirror image, if you know what I mean !

That gave Sports a nice 2-0 half time lead but the next goal in this situation is critical so once again Sports came out fired up to kill the game off. However it was the home team who had the first attempt with a shot that went just over Sam Watt’s bar. Westlands quickly took the game down to the other end a forced a corner. Elliott Mann put it over with a bit of pace and SCOTT SMITH ran in and met it flush, thumping a header into the back of the net. That was the goal we wanted and with a three goal lead it looked like game over as the home side hadn’t really caused us too many problems at the back. Nevertheless they kept trying, pushing forward with their neat passing game but running into a brick wall on the edge of the Westlands box. At the same time, almost every time Sports attacked we looked dangerous. In the 52nd minute Elliot Mann made a good run but his final shot was a bit weak and was easily saved. Then Hamworthy had a little spell where they got a couple of shots away. First the Sports defence stood off a Hamworthy player as he cut in from the left and Sam Watts was called upon to make the save. Then another home player tried his luck from 25 yards but his shot went just past. In the 59th minute we really did put the game to bed with the fourth goal and what a goal it was. Sam Watts booted a huge kick upfield that caught the Hamworthy defence napping and as the ball bounced over them LEO HAYWARD was after it in a flash. Before the ball could bounce a second time Leo volleyed it past the keeper and it hit the back of the net before he could move. What a shot and a fitting way for Leo to clinch a brilliant hat-trick. In the 65th minute Josh Payne burst through and a shot looked on but he chose to cut the ball back to Elliot Mann who just failed to connect. Twenty minutes to go and Matt Phillips replaced Dwayne Forshaw as Sports management perhaps decided the game was won. That was followed by a good effort from Hamworthy with a shot that came off the outside of the post. Sports were still dangerous and a great through ball from Henry Lawrence-Napier put Josh Payne through on goal but the keeper saved his shot with his legs. Jamie Green then replaced Leo Hayward and it was a bit worrying to see Scott Smith limp off with a knee problem, perhaps a victim of the firm 3G surface ? Anyway, he was replaced by Ben Cochrane who went up front ! In the 85th minute Matt Watson headed a corner over the top and that was the first in a flurry of chances in the dying minutes. A bizarre moment next when a ball down the right wing caught out the Hamworthy defence. They stopped playing thinking the ball was out of play. It wasn’t, and when Ben Cochrane chased after it he was away with only the keeper to beat. Being at a bit of an angle Ben decided not to take on the shot and instead cut the ball across to Elliot Mann who was following up. Elliot’s shot looked goal bound but agonisingly it struck the bar and bounced out. Josh Payne then pounced on the rebound but put his shot wide of the near post. Unbelievable ! With a minute to go Hamworthy forced a corner and put a header over the top, not their day. The final action saw Jamie Green burst through the Hamworthy defence, which was wide open now, but the keeper spread himself well and made the save. That ended the match and a fine win for Westlands. It’s always nice to pick up a win away from home and a clean sheet as well is a bonus.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week is a bit of a foregone conclusion as it has to go to LEO HAYWARD for a magnificent hat-trick. The Hamworthy defence just couldn’t cope with his pace and power.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6. H.Lawrence-Napier 7.J.Payne 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10. E.Mann 11. D.Forshaw 12. M.Phillips 14.J.Green 15.B.Cochrane

Saturday 4th Mar 2017, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 3  SHERBORNE TOWN RES  1

For the second week running we had a strong blustery wind that would have an affect on play but luckily the heavy rain had come down overnight and so the pitch was soft and would cut up but was perfectly playable..

On the team front, Westlands had only one change after last week’s good win, Elliott Mann replacing Louis Irwin.

The first chance of the match came after a couple of minutes when Josh Payne sprinted down the right wing and pulled the ball across goal. Unfortunately there were no red shirts in the box to take advantage and the ball was cleared. Sports were making the early running and the pressure paid off in the 8th minute with the opening goal.

A cross from the left was hooked goalwards by SAM PLUMLEY and a slight deflection helped the ball into the corner of the net. An early lead was just what we wanted and Westlands continued to push forward but were unable to extend their lead. In the 13th minute a Sam Plumley cross deceived the keeper and bounced off the crossbar. A minute later a Leo Hayward shot went just past the post and a couple of minutes after that Leo had another chance but put it over the bar. In the 28th minute Elliot Mann chased a through ball but was clearly obstructed on the edge of the box. Elliot took the kick himself but his shot over the wall just shaved the crossbar.

In the 30th minute Leo Hayward put another effort just wide but three minutes later Westlands were rocked when Sherborne equalised. A free kick into the goalmouth was only half cleared to the edge of the box and a Sherborne player hit a first time dipping shot into the far corner. This setback rocked Westlands back on their heels for a few minutes and the visitors had their best spell so far but their final ball wasn’t really causing us too many problems so although they had territorial advantage for a bit there was no end result. Westlands soon regrouped and just before half time another Leo Hayward effort went wide.

The 1-1 half time result was not what we had envisaged and the general opinion among the tea bar officionados was that Sports had seemed to ease off a bit after the early goal and had eventually paid the price for some rather slack play.

There seemed to be a bit more pace and determination about Westlands in the second half and they soon had Sherborne pinned in their own half. In the 52nd minute the away keeper pulled off a good double save, first parrying a good shot from Leo Hayward and then diving on the rebound from Elliott Mann. Just after the hour Jamie Irwin, who had been in doubt before the game due to a groin problem, was replaced by Ryan McGuinn and a couple of minutes later Ryan was involved in a good move that ended with Elliott Mann having a shot saved. In the 75th minute Westlands took the lead with a cracking goal. A neat pass between the lines saw JOSH PAYNE burst into the box and thump a blistering shot into the net that gave the keeper no chance. Westlands were in total control now and substitute Max Rowswell was brought on for his first team debut, replacing Elliot Mann. Then we had a bizarre moment when Sports keeper Sam Watts had to make a diving save to prevent a header from team mate Matt Watson going into the top corner ! Josh Payne was finding space coming in off the wing and in the 79th minute he neatly lobbed the keeper but the ball just cleared the crossbar. Leo Hayward then came off being replaced by Matt Phillips and as we went into the last few minutes Westlands put the game beyond doubt with the third goal. A free kick to Westlands just inside our own half was played quickly over the top to JOSH PAYNE who sprinted clear of the defence, drew the keeper, and drove the ball into the far corner for a lovely goal. There was no more real action as Sherborne had fought hard but were now resigned to the outcome. The final whistle brought the game to its inevitable conclusion and completed another satisfactory afternoon for Westlands.

It had not been a blood and guts derby like we have witnessed in years gone by but both teams had battled hard in difficult conditions. From a Westlands perspective we have played a lot better but you can’t be at your best every week and we got the result in the end.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER who seemed to relish his new centre midfield role and gave a non-stop performance in the heavy going.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6. H.Lawrence-Napier 7.J.Payne 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10. E.Mann 11. J.Irwin 12. R.McGuinn 14. M.Phillips 15.M.Rowswell 16.J.Green 17.B.Cochrane

Saturday 25th Feb 2017, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 3  MERLEY COBHAM  1

The weather was not good as we approached kick-off time, strong winds and some light rain beginning to fall. Westlands lined up with two changes from the team that played Swanage last week, Josh Payne and Louis Irwin replacing Ben Johnson and Elliot Mann. Ben Cochrane, our new signing from Gillingham, was on the bench in a strong looking Westlands line up.

Merley Cobham were first on the attack and a poor defensive clearance gave them an opportunity which we managed to clear for a corner. That was followed by another corner as the visitor’s looked for an early goal. Another Merley attack then saw one of their forwards shoot just past the post as they continued to press. Gradually, however, Westlands began to settle into the game and in the 7th minute took the lead. Will Ireland won the ball in midfield and fed it to Louis Irwin whose ball over the top put Josh Payne away down the right. Josh took on the Merley defender and then squared the ball perfectly across the face of the goal for JAMIE IRWIN to meet it on the run and sidefoot into the net. That was a fast, incisive break by Westlands and there was more to follow. In the 10th minute another ball over the top put JOSH PAYNE clean through on goal. This time Josh ran in, rounded the keeper, and passed the ball into the empty net to make it 2-0, happy days ! In the 17th minute a Scott Smith header from a corner slipped just wide of the far post and a couple of minutes later Sam Watts made a good save low down at his post as the game swung from and to end. In the 26th minute, it was déjà vu as a long ball ball over the top saw LEO HAYWARD race through on goal. With the keeper advancing Leo went round him, and from an acute angle, put the ball in the far corner to make it an amazing 3-0 to Sports. Claims for offside were dismissed by the lino who had the best view in the house although he took a bit of stick from the Merley bench.

That was the half time score and obviously, with a three goal lead, there was no way we should lose this game but we had to be sensible as the visitor’s were a good side and possession wise had the upper hand in the first 45.

The second half saw Merley line up with three at the back and their big centre half up front. That nearly proved effective straight away as he got on the end of a good pass to stab the ball past Sam Watts, the Westlands keeper, but a defender had covered round and was able to clear. They were going for it now and with 10 minutes gone in the second half they got the goal they had been looking for. A driven cross from the left wing was misjudged on the wind by Phil Wells and he headed into his own net for an own goal. Back came Westlands and a nice pass from Leo Hayward gave Jamie Irwin possession inside the box and he lost his marker with a good turn but unfortunately couldn’t get over the shot and put it over the bar. Then a Merley free kick into the box caused a problem when it curled in the wind and wrong footed the Sports defenders but luckily an attacker’s header failed to find the target and slipped just past the post. Another Merley shot in the 68th minute flew just over the top and a couple of minutes later it was Westlands who almost scored. Louis Irwin put brother Jamie through and his shot under the keeper was deflected for a corner. From the kick Scott Smith had a shot blocked after a bit of a scramble in the visitor’s box. Then in the 72nd minute Leo Hayward let rip with a piledriver that skimmed the bar and in the 82nd minute Louis Irwin put a free kick from the edge of the box over the bar. With 5 minutes left Sam Watts made a good save as time ran out for Merley and at that point we made our first substitution with Ryan McGuinn replacing Louis Irwin. Jamie Irwin was giving the Merley defence a hard time this half and he made another good run into the box and laid the ball off to Josh Payne whose effort was saved by the keeper. Josh was then replaced by Matt Phillips and Ben Cochrane took Leo Hayward’s place as manager Harry Gibbs firmly shut the door on Merley.

A good 3-1 victory in difficult conditions for Westlands was just what we needed and we now look forward to the third home game on the trot next Saturday against Sherborne.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to Westlands skipper WILL IRELAND who put in some hard graft in the midfield where he took the opposition on head to head. Some crunching tackles saw him in the referee’s book but all in all a good captain’s performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6. H.Lawrence-Napier 7.J.Payne 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10. L.Irwin 11. J.Irwin 12. R.McGuinn 14. M.Phillips 15.B.Cochrane

Saturday 18th Feb 2017, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 1  SWANAGE TOWN  1

A lovely warm spring day at Alvington, what a difference from last week, and the good weather brought out a reasonable crowd for the visit of third place Swanage Town. We had a couple of changes from last week with Ben Johnson and Elliott Mann given starting places. This was Elliot’s first full start for the club and his home debut so he would be looking to impress. Westlands forced a corner straight away and Leo Hayward put over an inswinger that caused a real scramble in the visitor’s goalmouth. The first attempt was headed off the line, the second hit the bar, and the third was blocked and finally cleared away. That was in the 2nd minute and only three minutes later we had a let off down at the other end. The ball was crossed in and a Swans player thumped in a shot that hit the bar, bounced down on the line and was hooked over the bar by a Westlands defender. Loud claims that the ball had crossed the line but the lino was on the spot and he wasn’t having it. It was end to end stuff with Westlands carving out a couple of chances, the best of which Leo Hayward blasted miles over the crossbar, and Swanage did likewise with their front two, Beard and Rose, causing us a few problems. The opening goal came in the 35th minute and it was Westlands who scored, albeit slightly against the run of play. Jamie Irwin drove into the Swanage half and released a perfect ball for ELLIOT MANN, who had made an intelligent run, and he coolly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper. It hadn’t taken long for our new signing to make his mark and his team mates all rushed to congratulate him.

A couple of minutes later Jamie Irwin again made progress down the left and fired off a shot that was parried by the goalkeeper. Swanage hit back strongly and just before half time, in the 42nd minute, they equalised. A corner from the right was only half cleared and fell to Swans centre forward Beard and he slammed in a shot that flew through a crowd of players and found the back of the net.

So, 1-1 at the break was slightly disappointing as we had been so close to hanging on to a half time lead but we couldn’t really complain as Swanage didn’t deserve to be behind on the balance of play.

Swanage were first to carve out a chance in the second half with a goalbound header being headed over his own bar by a Westlands defender. Then a Henry Lawrence-Napier pass put Leo Hayward through on goal but the keeper rushed out to block his sidefoot shot. First sub for Westlands was in the 65th minute, Ryan McGuinn coming on for Ben Johnson who had copped a sore one on the ankle. The game continued at break neck pace and as the tackles flew in things began to get feisty. Sam Plumley and Leo Hayward found themselves in the referee’s book along with a couple of Swanage players as the official tried to keep the lid on things. As we moved into the last 10 minutes both teams made a big effort to nick the three points. Sam Watts made a good save turning a shot over the top and from the corner a Swans player headed just wide. Sports second substitution then saw Matt Phillips replace Leo Hayward. Then, in the last minute, Ryan McGuinn was put clean through but before he could get his shot away he was thwarted by a last ditch flying tackle. The final whistle ended what had been an excellent match. Lots of action and goalmouth incidents, some tough tackling, a bit of moaning and groaning, all the ingredients were there for a good afternoon’s entertainment.

In the end we were happy with the point and although Swanage probably shaded it on chances, I don’t think either team really deserved to lose this one considering the effort every player had put in. Swanage are a tough side but the Westlands team competed well and can be pleased with their efforts.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to Westlands keeper SAM WATTS. It was end to end stuff with lots of goalmouth action so Sam was kept busy all afternoon. How he only conceded one goal was a credit to his all action performance between the sticks. Diving at feet, punching away crosses, getting bashed around in the crowded goalmouths, it was all happening but he emerged most times with the ball or cleared his lines with a good punch.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.B.Johnson 7. H.Lawrence-Napier 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10. E.Mann 11. J.Irwin 12.M.Phillips 14. R.McGuinn 15.D.Forshaw

Saturday 11th Feb 2017, Dorset Premier League

DORCHESTER SPORTS 4  WESTLAND SPORTS 1

After no match for three weeks we should have been up for this one but unfortunately we served up a poor performance in a day that we would like to forget but one that is etched in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

It was a bitterly cold afternoon at the Avenue Stadium and the pitch was very large and a bit bobbly but otherwise conditions were good. We opened quite brightly with Henry Lawrence-Napier making a run down the left and getting a shot away which the keeper saved at his near post. Then Ryan McGuinn tried an ambitious lob from about 20 yards out which sailed over the bar. Our opening 10 minutes had been quite promising but as the home team settled some cracks appeared. We had a bit of a let off when a long ball into our box caused havoc in our defence. Sam Watts came out but seemed to be blocked by his own defenders and when a Dorchester player lobbed the ball towards the empty net, Sam Plumley managed to get his head to the ball and clear the danger. But the warning signs were there and in the 12th minute we went behind. A corner was put over from the right and a Westlands defender headed clear. Some players tried to follow the ball out and clear the box and others didn’t so when the ball was put back in we were in a bit of a shambles. A defender desperately tried to clear but failed to do so and a Dorchester forward brought the ball down, turned, and thumped it into the net. Just the tonic the home side needed and they began to cause us a few problems with good passing and movement, utilising the wide open spaces on the Avenue pitch. Still, we had our moments and in 18 minutes Jamie Irwin tried a shot from 20 yards but the keeper saved easily. Five minutes later Scott Smith put a free kick into the opposition box, Ryan McGuinn headed on and Leo Hayward had his shot saved by the keeper. Then Leo had a free kick on the edge of the box but he put it way over the bar. Just before the break Dorchester had a free kick which was headed just over with our defence a bit flat footed.

One goal behind at half time wasn’t too bad a result as we hadn’t played particularly well so we knew there was room for improvement.

We started the second half well with Leo Hayward driving into the box but he took an extra touch and was eventually crowded out. Then in the 48th minute Dwayne Forshaw drove into the box and he was brought down.

A stonewall penalty kick and this time skipper Will Ireland stepped up to take it. His shot was on target, heading for the corner, but wasn’t struck hard enough, more of a side foot, and when the keeper guessed correctly he was able to block the shot. Will tried to turn in the rebound at full stretch but couldn’t make a good connection and the keeper completed the double save.  We kept trying to push forward but we were finding it difficult to create a decent chance. Dwayne Forshaw had a shot saved and then new signing Elliott Mann was introduced as Westlands sought to pep things up in attack. In the 70th minute the Dorchester centre half was sent off for two yellow cards after a series of “tactical” fouls so surely this was the break we needed to get back into the game. As it turned out the sending off revitalised the home team and it was Westlands who virtually folded. In the 73rd minute Dorchester put a free kick into our penalty area. A defender swung a foot at the ball but missed it and it went right through to the far post where an attacker was waiting to turn it into the net. This goal really gave the home side some belief and they were now faster to every ball while the Westland lads now looked tired and dispirited. In the 80th minute a Dorchester player cut in from the right, played the ball low across the face of the goal where his team mate ran in unchallenged to score. Things were going from bad to worse now as Dorchester made it 4-0 in the 84th minute. We gave the ball away deep in our own half out on the left. Their winger somehow got past two Westlands defenders and played the ball across to the far post where it was despatched into the top corner. This was getting embarrassing as they almost made it 5 when their player was put clean through but he shot over the bar. We were looking for the final whistle now but in the 90th minute we pulled one back to make the score a slightly more respectable 4-1 and an excellent goal it was. The ball was laid off to JAMIE GREEN on the edge of the box and he curled a lovely shot into the top corner via the underside of the bar. A consolation goal that didn’t really do much to dull the pain of what had gone before.

The final whistle ended what had been a disappointing display and I’m sure the players will analyse the game thoroughly so we won’t go into that too deeply. One feature that stood out was the fact that the Westlands team had a lot of players who like to run with the ball and on this big pitch which was quite bobbly the opposition tactic of pass and move seemed to work better. Also it was disappointing to see our team capitulate so easily against 10 men in those last 20 minutes.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER  for another hard working performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.J.Irwin 7.R.McGuinn 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10. H.Lawrence-Napier 11.D.Forshaw 12.M.Phillips 14.E.Mann 15.J.Green

Saturday 14th Jan 2017, Dorset Premier League

CRANBORNE 1  WESTLAND SPORTS 3

A bit of a shake up this week with five changes to last week’s winning side at Mere. Sam Watts resumed in goal after his cameo appearance in midfield, Matt Phillips and Ryan McGuinn were given starting slots after being on the bench, and Jamie Green and Jamie Irwin returned to the team. With Leo Hayward missing, Jamie Irwin led the line with Ryan McGuinn out on the right flank. Sam Gibbs also returned to the squad and took a place on the bench beside Matt Watson and 16 year old Jacob Tailby who was given his first taste of first team action. As usual the Cranborne pitch was fairly firm considering the previous day’s rain but was a little cut up and bumpy as you would expect at this time of year.

Westlands started well, controlling play and keeping the home side on the defensive. A couple of half chances were created and even at this early stage it looked as if the opening goal was imminent. Sure enough, the deadlock was broken in the 8th minute, but against the run of play it was the home side who scored ! A neat passing move down the right saw their midfield player make a run into the box, latch onto a nice through ball, and score with a low shot past Westlands keeper Sam Watts. Not what we wanted really as the home side could take confidence from this and a bit disappointing that the midfielder was allowed to run into the box untracked. However, there was no need to worry as within two minutes Westlands were level. Jamie Irwin slipped a nice pass through the Cranborne back line and HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER ran on to drive the ball past the keeper into the far corner of the net. Just what Sports needed to take the wind out the home team’s sails and, before they could regroup, we hit them with a second goal. From out on the right RYAN McGUINN thumped over a cross/shot which caught the wind and sailed into the top corner of the net with the keeper stranded. There was only 11 minutes on the clock at this stage so an exciting opening spell for the spectators. Back in control, Westlands began to look for a third goal that would take the pressure off. Dwayne Forshaw had a good shot in the 25th minute that went just wide and several corners were cleared by the Cranborne defence. Eventually, in the 36th minute we got that third goal we wanted. A short corner was taken out on the right wing and when the ball was finally swung over to the far post, MATT PHILLIPS was lurking unmarked to plant a header into the back of the net. The final 10 minutes of the half were pretty much all Westlands and Jamie Green should have put Sports further ahead but missed a sitter and then Scott Smith got his head to a corner but put the ball over the bar.

That was the last chance of the half and so we turned round with a healthy two goal half time lead and really there looked no way back for the home side now.

The second half was virtually one way traffic as Westlands kept the pressure on, looking for more goals. In the 50th minute a good shot from Henry Lawrence-Napier brought an excellent save from the Cranborne keeper. Two minutes later a good deep cross from Dwayne Forshaw picked out Henry free at the far post but, at full stretch, he just couldn’t direct his shot on target and it went past the post. In 54 minutes Jamie Irwin was put through by a defence splitting pass but he put his shot wide of the far post. Then, on the hour mark, Jamie Irwin beat two men in the box with some good close control but this time the keeper saved his goal bound shot. In 65 minutes Ryan McGuinn shot wide and in the 76th minute Jamie Irwin again made space and shot but the keeper saved again. With 10 minutes to go sub Jacob Tailby came on and almost immediately had a chance from the edge of the box but blasted his shot well over the top. In the 85th minute Sam Plumley got a touch to a driven cross from Dwayne Forshaw and we all thought it was going in until the keeper leapt backwards to turn the ball over the bar. Going into the final few minutes Westlands made their final substitutions with Sam Gibbs replacing Dwayne Forshaw and Matt Watson replacing Jamie Irwin. In the last minute of the match Henry Lawrence-Napier was put through but missed the target with his shot.

That really was the story of the second half, with Westlands carving out plenty of chances but failing to take them. Nevertheless it was a competent performance from Sports and the whole squad can be pleased with their efforts.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to another 16 year old, JAMIE IRWIN, for a hard working performance in that lonely front man role. He did miss several chances but was in the position to do so and also created a couple of good chances for himself with good close control. Jamie was also involved in the build up for all three Westlands goals so a good afternoon for him after several weeks out of the team.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Phillips 5.Scott Smith 6.J.Green 7.R.McGuinn 8.W.Ireland 9.J.Irwin 10. H.Lawrence-Napier 11. D.Forshaw 12. S.Gibbs 14.J.Tailby 15.M.Watson

Saturday 7th Jan 2017, Dorset Premier League

MERE TOWN 0  WESTLAND SPORTS 1

Westlands were forced into a couple of changes for this game at Duchy Manor. With Steve Flynn having left to pursue his naval career and Jamie Green out of action for a while, the manager produced a surprise by selecting Sam Watts, Westlands normal keeper, for the vacant midfield position with Luke Silcox taking his place between the sticks. The returning Dwayne Forshaw filled the other gap and apart from that we were unchanged. The pitch at Mere was testing, soft and a bit uneven so not ideal for a passing game which was a bit concerning.

Mere showed their intent from the start, working really hard and putting the Westland players under pressure straight away. In the very first minute the first shot of the game flew just past the Westlands post and they then proceeded to force three corners which were well defended. It took 5 minutes for Westlands to muster an attack and force their first corner of the match. The pattern of the match was already taking shape with Westlands trying to pass the ball but finding a good first touch difficult under pressure from the home side. Mere were pushing three men up at all times and putting balls in behind the Sports defence for them to chase. This tactic was proving very dangerous and in the 16th minute a Mere player was put clean through and as he tried to go round keeper Luke Silcox, he crashed to the ground. Loud appeals for a penalty  from Mere but luckily the referee had a good view and yellow carded their player for diving. A bit of a scare there but Sports immediately hit back and a neat Sam Watts pass gave Leo Hayward a sight of goal at the edge of the box. Leo let fly with a thumping shot which their keeper finger-tipped round the post at full stretch. Back came Mere with another fast break, this time Luke Silcox got a foot to the final shot which deflected onto the bar and over. Westlands were struggling to contain these fast breaks and another ball over the top put their #9 clean through but he scuffed his shot well wide of the far post. It was end to end now and Henry Lawrence-Napier put a header wide from a corner. Next Mere put a free kick into the box and their player won the header but saw his effort hit the post. In the 38th minute Dwayne Forshaw cut in from the left onto his right foot and curled a shot towards the postage stamp corner. It looked a goal all the way until their keeper got up to claw the ball away for a corner. What a save that was and from the corner Matt Watson put a header past the post. Luke Silcox then made a good save from a low shot and just before the break Leo Hayward had a shot saved by the Mere keeper.

Half-time 0-0 was, if anything, a bit fortunate for Westlands. We had ridden our luck a couple of times when the woodwork had come to our aid but on the other hand, the Mere goalkeeper had made at least two outstanding saves so the game was definitely finely poised for the second half.

Westlands came out looking determined and quickly took charge of the ball, pushing Mere back into their own half. This pressure paid off within 4 minutes of the restart when a good low cross from Leo Hayward out on the left wing was turned in at close range by HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER. An excellent goal, a good piece of opportunism by Henry to get into the box and a good cross by Leo to set it up. Just the start Westlands wanted to the half. With the home team tiring a bit after their exertions of the first half, Sports were now looking like they meant business and were beginning to dominate in the centre of midfield with Ben Johnson prominent. In the 52nd minute Henry Lawrence-Napier outstripped the Mere defence down the right and put in a good cross which was cleared. Then Mere had their first real break of the half but Phil Wells mopped up the danger with a good clearance. On the hour Leo Hayward had a good shot saved then he took a free kick which Henry Lawrence-Napier put just past the post with a glancing header. Ryan McGuinn now came on to replace Dwayne Forshaw, and Sam Watts, who had run himself into the ground, was replaced by Matt Phillips. With 15 minutes to go Mere forced a corner and their defender again won the header and was again denied when his header glanced the crossbar on its way over. As we moved into the final minutes Mere were trying to make a final push and it was a bit nervy with only the one goal lead. However, in the dying minutes we had a good chance to make the points safe when Ryan McGuinn broke through the Mere defence but he rushed his shot and pulled it wide.

The final whistle was welcome with another good win away from home secured. It had been a difficult game and although we hadn’t hit the heights we had battled well against difficult opponents to beat on their own pitch.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER for another hard-working performance down the right, especially in the second half when he ran the Mere defence ragged. He also made sure he was in the box to turn in Leo’s cross for what proved to be the winning goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Silcox 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.B.Johnson 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10.S.Watts 11. D.Forshaw 12. M.Phillips 14.R.McGuinn

Saturday 17th Dec 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 1  HAMWORTHY RECREATION  2

The visit of Hamworthy Recreation to Alvington Lane brought out a few extra spectators and they were not disappointed as the teams served up an excellent game. The weather was gloomy but dry and the rain earlier in the week had left the pitch a little soft but otherwise perfect. Westlands made one change from last week with Stu Smith back on the injured list and replaced by Ben Johnson.

In the early minutes the game was being played at a frantic pace so neither team had time on the ball to create any worthwhile chances. But in the 17th minute a lovely through ball put LEO HAYWARD in the clear and he bolted through to steer a shot past the keeper into the back of the net. A super goal and the perfect start for Westlands. But as the game began to settle the visitors began to get their passing going and after half an hour created a couple of quick chances. The first was a shot that bounced off the crossbar and the second a free kick that fizzed just over the top. The warning signs were there and the equaliser came in the 40th minute. A through ball into the Westlands box saw keeper Sam Watts charging off his line but he was beaten to the ball by the Rec #8 who toe-poked the ball into the far corner of the net. Westlands were next to create a good chance when Jamie Green cut in from the left and had the goal at his mercy. He smashed the ball goalwards and it looked netbound but the Hamworthy keeper threw himself to the ground and the ball glanced off his body and onto the crossbar. Down at the other end Sam Watts got down well to save at the post as the half ended.

It had been a good first half and the 1-1 scoreline seemed quite fair to most people at the tea bar.

The second half began with Westlands losing concentration for a few minutes and nearly being made to pay. First Sam Plumley picked up a yellow card for arguing over the referee’s decisions. Then in the 48th minute a free kick by Hamworthy picked out two totally unmarked attackers at the far post and we were lucky when a defender (it may have been Scott Smith) got back to head off the line. In a repeat of last week it was the visiting team who were now having the best of the play. Westlands seemed to be trying to pull off difficult long passes which invariably were intercepted while the visitors were passing short and keeping possession better. Nevertheless Sports were still in the game and on the hour the Hamworthy keeper made a good save from a Steve Flynn shot. It was tight and neither side could create a clear opening with the respective defences looking solid. In the 70th minute Hamworthy got their noses in front with what, in the end, proved to be the winning goal. The ball was given away on the halfway line by Dwayne Forshaw and was worked forward to their #7 who picked the ball up about 20+ yards out. With nothing really on, he decided to have a pop at goal and turned and let fly. His daisy cutter went under Sam Watts diving body and into the back of the net which took even the goal scorer by surprise judging by his reaction. Westlands tried to fight back but Rec were experienced at the back and they were getting bodies behind the ball which made them tough to break down. Leo Hayward did create a chance for himself but his shot flew just past the post and that was the last real chance.

A bit disappointing to go down by the odd goal but to be honest, I don’t think we did quite enough to win this game although one or two people thought perhaps we deserved a draw. Hamworthy kept the ball better than us and too often the goals we concede are from silly mistakes. On a more positive note, the work rate of the Westland players cannot be faulted and once again we proved we will always give the top teams a real battle.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LEO HAYWARD who always has a go at the opposition defences and causes them real problems with his aggressive running, Although he put his customary free kick over the bar (have we no-one who can take a free kick?) he took his goal very well with a cool finish.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.S.Flynn 7. H.Lawrence-Napier 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10.J.Green 11.B.Johnson 12.D.Forshaw 14.M.Phillips 15.Chris Wells 16.M.Mullings

10th Dec 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 2  HOLT UTD  2

For the visit of league front runners Holt Utd to Alvington, manager Harry Smith pulled a rabbit out the bag with the return of ex-player/manager Stu Smith to the team for the first time this season following shoulder surgery. It was a dull, rainy day but the pitch was in perfect condition so we looked forward to an exciting game.

Sports tactical re-shuffle obviously did not upset the rhythm of the team in any way as they piled forward from the kick-off and put the visitors under pressure. An early corner in the 3rd minute was cleared but Sports continued to press and a good run by Leo Hayward saw his cross scrambled away twice from the visitor’s box. It was one way traffic really with Holt only having the odd breaks that were mopped up fairly easily by the Westlands defence, well marshalled by the ice-cool Stu Smith. All the pressure, however, hadn’t produced a goal and after 26 minutes another corner was driven past the far post by Scott Smith. At last, 2 minutes later, we opened the scoring, and what a goal it was ! Sam Plumley and Jamie Green exchanged passes down the right and Jamie’s final pass inside to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER put him in on goal. Henry kept his head down and rifled a shot into the roof of the net giving the keeper no chance. Having at last got our noses in front we then took our eye off the ball and conceded only three minutes later ! A neat flick found their #7 unmarked on the edge of the box, he turned and as he shot for goal Scott Smith got a half block in and the ball trundled into the corner of the net with keeper Sam Watts wrong footed. What a blow for Westlands who had been the better side and in the last minute of the half Sam Watts turned a shot over the bar to prevent what had been an excellent half turning into a total disaster.

A 1-1 draw at half time did not reflect our superiority but the team had played really well in the opening 45 and the game was still well within our grasp.

The second half opened fairly cagy but it was Holt who created the first chance about 10 minutes in when a ball played down the right side saw Sam Watts charge from his goal to try and clear. Unfortunately a Holt player beat him to it and his pass across the face of the unguarded goal went begging. That scare seemed to spur Sports into action and we went back in front in the 65th minute. LEO HAYWARD drove into the box and smashed in a shot which the keeper did well to block. Leo pounced on the rebound and this time his shot took a massive deflection off a defender’s foot and looped up over the keeper’s head into the net. A minute later we had the chance to perhaps put the game to bed when we had a free kick on the edge of the box but Leo Hayward blasted over the bar! Holt could see the game slipping away from them now and with 20 minutes left they made a big effort to find an equaliser. In the 72nd minute Sam Watts made a good save to keep them out but 3 minutes later disaster struck. Sam Watts came out to collect a long diagonal ball to the far post but he misjudged it and dropped the ball for the Holt #5 to bundle over the line. Now the situation had changed and it was the visitors who had the wind in their sails as they pushed forward scenting a winner. Sports efforts in the first half seemed to be taking their toll now with some of the Westlands players looking a bit heavy legged. The manager made a couple of substitutions at this stage just to tighten things up, Ryan McGuinn and Chris Wells replacing Jamie Green and Leo Hayward. The extra body in midfield certainly helped and as the game reached its conclusion, it was Westlands who nearly grabbed the winner. Out on the left of the box Steve Flynn turned inside onto his right foot and let fly with a curling inswinger that just shaved the far post. That was very close and looked in from my vantage point.

That effort signalled the end of an enthralling match with Westlands having the better of the first half and Holt being stronger in the second. All in all probably a fair result in the end as neither team really deserved to lose this one.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER  for an all-action performance topped off by a cracking goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.Stu Smith 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.S.Flynn 7.S.Plumley 8.W.Ireland 9.L.Hayward 10.J.Green 11. Henry Lawrence-Napier 12.M.Phillips 14.M.Mullings 15.Ryan McGuinn 16.Chris Wells

Saturday 3rd Dec 2016, Dorset Premier League

STURMINSTER NEWTON UTD 1 WESTLAND SPORTS 3

After four games without a win (2 draws, 2 defeats) this looked like an opportunity for Westlands to get back to winning ways with the opposition down in the bottom half of the table. Scott Smith returned to the defence and Jamie Green, who had stood in at centre half last week, was pushed forward to replace Dwayne Forshaw who dropped out.

There was little to choose between the sides early on but as the game began to settle it was noticeable that although the home side were getting a fair bit of possession they weren’t really troubling our defence while Sports attacks always seemed to carry more threat. In the first 20 minutes Sturminster probably had the lion’s share of possession but only created one clear chance when their player ran through and fired in a shot which Sam Watts saved. During the same period, however, Westlands had created three chances. First Will Ireland got his head to a Sam Plumley cross but the keeper saved low down. Then Leo had a good run and shot that was again saved and finally, the best chance fell to Jamie Green when a lovely ball from Leo Hayward put him in on goal but he screwed his shot wide. With Jamie Green pushing forward Westlands seemed to be outnumbered in midfield and the home side were having a lot of possession but in the 33rd minute it was Westlands who opened the scoring. Jamie Green ran at the Sturminster defence and was tripped just outside the box just to the left of centre. LEO HAYWARD stepped up to take the kick and surprised everyone by thumping the ball low and hard straight through the defensive wall where it took a slight deflection and flew into the bottom corner. That goal rocked the home team and Sports turned up the pressure. Another free kick just outside the box out on the right side was curled in with his left foot by Ben Johnson but it just cleared the far top corner. In the 38th minute Henry Lawrence-Napier dribbled into the box past a couple of players and slipped a neat ball to JAMIE GREEN who slotted it back across the keeper into the corner of the net.

That gave Westlands a nice 2-0 half time lead which was slightly surprising as we hadn’t played that well but a very welcome score line nevertheless.

The second half saw Westlands looking sloppy and giving away possession with careless passes. Five minutes into the half we had a bit of a wakeup call when a shot from a Sturminster player flew just past the post. This roused Sports from their slumbers and Scott Smith headed a free kick just over the bar from a good position. On the hour mark it all kicked off when a Sturminster player appeared to have a kick at Sam Watts as he dived on a through ball. All the players piled into the melee that followed and it was difficult to assess what was going on from our viewpoint in the dugout. After calming things down the referee had a chat with the assistant who was only yards away from the incident and the red card was then shown to the Sturminster player. I believe the referee said later it was for throwing a punch ? The home bench were outraged that one of their players had been sent off but in actual fact he did them a favour as Stur had their best spell in the match after going down to 10 men. They were going all out now and Sam Watts had to make a good save from a well driven shot. Then Sam Plumley picked up a yellow for a last ditch tackle as Westlands were forced back into defence. This was a good spell for the home side but the Sports defence looked quite solid and there were no big threats. However, at times it looked as if Westlands were the team with 10 men with one or two players not making much contribution. In the 75th minute a shot from a home forward flew over the bar but a minute later a Westlands attack should have brought the third goal. Leo Hayward got to the bye line and fired a low cross across goal where Matt Mullings, who had come on for Ben Johnson minutes earlier, seemed to have a tap in. Unfortunately he couldn’t connect and the ball flew under his foot to safety. That should have wrapped things up and a couple of minutes later the Sturminster keeper pulled off a great save, tipping a Henry Lawrence-Napier header round the post when it looked net bound. From the corner Scott Smith again headed over the top. With 5 minutes left both teams had attempts, Matt Mullings shot over then a Stur player put a shot past the post. With a minute to go, we gave the home side a lifeline with another gift from “Santa” Watson. Facing his own goal he tried to head the ball back to the keeper but was well short and a Sturminster player ran in to lob Sam Watts as he came out. Well, with only a minute to go plus a couple of minutes extra time, could the 10 men pull off an unlikely comeback ? No was the answer as Westlands went on the attack and a ball into the box was handled for a penalty. JAMIE GREEN stepped up and fired the ball into the top corner to restore Westlands two goal lead.

That was it, no more excitement and a good win on the road for Westlands. We didn’t play well but we didn’t really look like conceding and once we were two goals in front it always looked a tough task for the home side.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to PHIL WELLS who had another impeccable performance at the back for Sports. Never gives the ball away cheaply and communicates well with his team mates.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.S.Flynn 7.Henry Lawrence-Napier 8. W.Ireland 9. L.Hayward 10.J.Green 11.B.Johnson 12.M.Phillips 14.M.Mullings.

Saturday 26th Nov 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 1 BALTI SPORTS 1

We hoped the visit of joint league leaders Balti Sports to Alvington would see Westlands raise their game after some disappointing results recently. Scott Smith was missing so a surprise selection was Jamie Green in the centre half spot. Will Ireland returned after injury and another surprise was the return of Ben Johnson to the midfield after a prolonged absence due to work commitments.

Westlands then gave the opposition the best possible start by gifting them a goal after only 8 minutes. Matt Watson tried a pass back from about 40 yards out and was woefully short and a Balti attacker ran through unchallenged to slot the ball neatly into the corner of the net. What a start, but Westlands rallied and the Balti keeper kept them in front with a couple of good saves on the quarter hour mark. First Henry Lawrence-Napier had a good shot turned round the post and then Leo Hayward had a great run and shot which the keeper saved with his trailing leg. It was nip and tuck for a while after this with neither team really managing to create scoring chances. Westlands were a little guilty of giving the ball away with sloppy passes but we were holding our own and it wasn’t until the last few minutes of the half that we had some goalmouth excitement. Matt Watson was first to have a go for Westlands when he headed over a corner and then Jamie Green made a goal line clearance to keep Balti out.

To be 1-0 down at half time was a bit disappointing as we hadn’t really played that well and the goal we lost was poor, however, we were still in the game and looking back their keeper had to make a couple of good saves to keep us out.

Westlands were caught cold straight from the kick off for the second half as a Balti player had a good chance but screwed his shot wide from in front of goal. That could have been a big blow to go 2-0 down straight away. This seemed to shake up Westlands and they began to put on the pressure with Steve Flynn putting a shot just past the post. Then Balti responded with their full back thumping in a shot which Sam Watts tipped over the bar. In the 62nd minute, with Westlands back on the attack, a short corner saw their keeper make a good save from Leo Hayward’s rocket shot. Westlands were buzzing now and were putting the visitor’s under constant pressure. In the 68th minute the equaliser came. Steve Flynn put a free kick into the box and as the keeper came out HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER put in a great leap to head the ball over him into the net. It was all Westlands now and Balti were hanging on a bit. In the 75th minute Dwayne Forshaw got on the end of a Leo Hayward cross and their keeper made a good save. Two minutes later a good run and shot from Henry Lawrence-Napier was again saved by the keeper, what a game he was having ! In the 78th minute a Leo Hayward shot went just past the post and a minute later Sam Watts had make a good save from a Balti breakaway. Then, in the 83rd minute came the big chance for Westlands to clinch the points. A great ball from Dwayne Forshaw put Leo Hayward through on goal. As he raced into the box a chasing defender at full stretch managed to hack him down. A certain penalty, no doubt about that decision, but the referee’s yellow card for the perpetrator raised a few eyebrows.  Leo stepped up to take the kick and the keeper dived to his left to make the save. What an opportunity that was but Sports kept going and in the last minute Sam Plumley hit a cracking drive that looked goalbound but, guess what, the Balti keeper somehow got fingers to the ball and turned it over the bar.

The final corner kick was headed over the top and that was that, a 1-1 draw.

A draw with the league leaders is usually seen as a good point but somehow after this result we felt a bit deflated as the team had worked so hard in the second half but had failed to clinch the win.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to JAMIE GREEN who stepped into the centre half role and did an excellent job. No frills, just solid defending and he also soldiered on bravely after taking a kick in the face so bonus points for that !

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.J.Green 6.S.Flynn 7.Henry Lawrence-Napier 8. W.Ireland 9. L.Hayward 10.D.Forshaw 11.B.Johnson 12.M.Phillips 14.M.Mullings.

Saturday 19th Nov 2016, Dorset Premier League

SHERBORNE TOWN RES  0  WESTLAND SPORTS 0

The derby match could have come at a better time for sports. Consecutive defeats is something the team haven't been accustomed to this season and there was an emphasis on showing a bit of fight in order to bounce back to return to winning ways. Sports defence was bolstered by the return of Scott Smith, a missing leader in what had been a consistent and tested back line, prior to his working absence. Sports had managed to hit the 'self-destruct button' in the last two weeks conceding 8 in those two fixtures. We also had the luxury of Dwayne Forshaw and Louis Irwin to enhance the creativity in attack. Sherborne found themselves at the other end of the table prior to the derby, but manager Gibbs warned the side that form goes 'out of the window' in derby matches, and to expect a hard fought 90 minutes.

Gibbs' words proved true in the opening minutes as regular fouls disrupted the flow of the game, with players on both sides being rewarded for shouting for the ref's attention. The first real chance for Sports fell to Matt Watson at a set piece, when the ball flew across the Sherborne goal at knee height, only to spurn the opportunity with the goal gaping.

Following that chance, right back Sam Plumley continued to make marauding runs down the right hand side, fed nicely by Henry Lawrence-Napier. The pattern, unfortunately for Sports, was a misplaced pass, or an unfortunate first touch in the final third, to undo the good build up play that preceded it. Sherborne's main threat was from set pieces. Long throws and well delivered free-kicks and corners were testing for Sports, who rose to the challenge and defended these with the required enthusiasm.

The second half continued as the first had finished; frantic and scrappy. Westlands had clearly taken the advantage in terms of possession and territory, demonstrated by how hard the Sherborne defence had to work.

Sports kept the intensity by charging at the full backs and were rewarded with regular crossing opportunities. Unfortunately, these crosses found the centre backs to clear well or the Sherborne keeper, all three having a good afternoon. Sherborne were looking to get away on the counter-attack. Thankfully for Westlands, these were usually toothless, and snuffed out comfortably by Sports. On the one occasion Sherborne did get men over, with the ball in the box, Sam Plumley who moments before had been in the Sherborne half on the attack, spotted the danger and got across the Sherborne attacker who was 'pulling the trigger' to put in a superb tackle, and Sports cleared.

With only a minute left on the clock, Sports got their best chance. Henry Lawrence-Napier was put through, one-on-one..... only to take a heavy touch, and the keeper once again came to Sherborne's rescue.

With time all up, and our final chance squandered, a wave resignation passed through the Sports camp. Sherborne sought to capitalise and prompted their best chance of the game. The ball bounced into the Westlands penalty area and Sam Watts was forced into making his first save. The ball wasn't cleared at first though, and a goal-mouth scramble ensued. Panic stations momentarily for Sports at the prospect of a most thoroughly undeserved goal for their bitter rivals. Thankfully the ball was cleared and a point each was shared.

A good derby, played in good spirit, but two points dropped for Westlands, who potentially have a season-defining run of fixtures into Christmas.

No player in Westlands red had a poor game. However, Man of the Match this week goes to right back, SAM PLUMLEY who tipified our ambition going forward and was there to put himself on the line when required to defend..

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith  6.S.Flynn 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8. J.Green 9. L.Hayward 10.L.Irwin 11. D.Forshaw 12.W.Ireland 14.M.Phillips 15.T.Budden 16. L.Stobbs

(Match report courtesy of 'our man on the inside' Will Ireland)

Saturday 12th Nov 2016, Dorset Premier League

PARLEY SPORTS 5  WESTLAND SPORTS 2

The day got off to a bad start with two carloads of players getting lost on their way to the ground (??). Sam Watts and Leo Hayward returned to the team this week but Dwayne Forshaw, Lewis Howchin and Will Ireland dropped out so there was a call up from the reserves for Joe Jarvis and Ryan McGuinn returned to the bench.

Unsurprisingly we looked a bit tentative in the first few minutes and some early Parley pressure saw them grow in confidence. It took 10 minutes before we settled and a Leo Hayward cross was headed over by Joe Jarvis. Then Leo latched onto a long ball and the Parley keeper had to dive and turn his shot round the post. This was a bit better from Westlands and we had a great opportunity in the 19th minute when Henry Lawrence-Napier drove into the Parley box.  It looked as if he seemed certain to score but unfortunately he passed up the opportunity and tried a pass to Leo Hayward which went horribly wrong. Parley were dangerous in attack with good movement and in the 24th minute Matt Watson dived into a tackle on the edge of the box and conceded a soft free kick. The kick was goal bound but Sam Watts pulled off a great save to parry the shot and the rebound was put past the post. More Parley pressure seemed to push our back line deeper and deeper and with the opposition now dominating midfield we were struggling a bit. In the 29th minute we went behind when a pass between our rather static defenders saw a Parley forward on the move and he scored in the far corner. Things were not going well for Westlands, we were second to most balls and our passing was poor and so it was no surprise when in the 41st minute we went 2 down. A simple ball into the box, some slack marking, and the ball’s in the back of the net. We were looking in serious trouble now but a cracking goal a minute before the break, got us back in the game. We were awarded a free kick out on the right about halfway inside the Parley half. Leo Hayward thumped the kick into the box where HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER met it full on and bulleted a header into the corner of the net. What a goal and one that put Westlands right back in the game and gave us some hope for the second half.

Manager Harry Gibbs made a tactical change at half time with Ryan McGuinn coming on to replace Matt Phillips in a change of shape for the second half.

Parley were still in confident mood at the start of the second half and soon forced a corner which their big #4 headed over the top. Then a cross to the far post was just missed by a Parley attacker as Westlands flapped at the back. Leo Hayward, who was a constant threat now to the opposition, took the pressure off the defence with a typical barnstorming run down the right wing in the 56th minute. He outpaced a defender, cut back inside another and fired off a shot which beat the keeper and cannoned off the far post. Joe Jarvis was following up but the pace of the ball was so fast he couldn’t sort his feet out and the ball bounced off his shin and rolled agonisingly past the post. That piece of play seemed to inspire Westlands and we really piled on the pressure. Sam Plumley stormed up the wing and fired over an inviting low cross but nobody was able to get on the end of it. Then in the 66 minute Leo made another great run and cross which Jamie Green headed over the top.  Then Parley put together a good move that forced Sam Watts into a great save when one on one and from that save we counter attacked and scored !  Ryan McGuinn sent Leo away with a lovely through pass. Leo raced through and fired off a shot which the keeper parried but the ball cannoned off a defender’s legs into the net for an OG. Back on level terms with 20 minutes to go and the impetus behind us I thought perhaps we could go on and win this one, even though we hadn’t played well. The equaliser, however, seemed to spur on the home side rather than us and we were soon under pressure. We held them at bay for 10 minutes but in the 81st minute a free kick to the far post was headed in from about 2 yards out. Disappointingly, the Westland’s heads seemed to go down and 6 minutes later we conceded again. I can’t quite understand what was going on as the Sports defence dithered around but a Parley player got the ball and fired in a lob/shot from about 25 yards which caught Sam Watts well out of his goal. A well taken, opportunist goal but what was going on in the Westland’s defence I don’t know. Two minutes later we let in another soft goal. A Cruyff turn bamboozled Matt Mullings on the byline and the Parley forward somehow managed to blast the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle. That was the end of a disappointing match for Westlands and we were glad to hear the final whistle as this was getting embarrassing.

No more to be said on this game, the players know what a poor performance it was so we’ll leave it at that.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to stand-in skipper HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER who led from the front with a hard working display in midfield topped off with a cracking goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.M.Mullings 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5. M.Phillips 6.S.Flynn 7.S.Plumley 8. J.Green 9. L.Hayward 10.H.Lawrence-Napier 11. J.Jarvis 12.R.McGuinn

Saturday 5th Nov 2016, Somerset Senior Cup, 3rd Rnd

WESTLAND SPORTS  0  CLUTTON  3

There were two changes in the line-up for the visit of our opponents from North Somerset. Regular centre-half Scott Smith, who has been in good goal scoring form recently, was unavailable and was replaced by Matt Mullings. Centre forward Leo Hayward was also unavailable and he was replaced by Lewis Howchin who played out wide with Dwayne Forshaw taking up the central striker’s role. With Louis Irwin, Josh Payne and Jamie Irwin all missing as well it did leave Westlands a bit short of firepower. The weather had turned distinctly wintery, dry and sunny at times but bitterly cold.

The early exchanges were a bit cagey as both teams weighed each other up but in the 8th minute Westlands had the first attempt at goal with Dwayne Forshaw blasting over the top. This seems to be a recurring theme every week in the reports, the phrase “unfortunately he blasted over the top” can usually be cut and pasted several times. A minute later Clutton replied with a shot just past the post from their #9. For the next 15 minutes or so we had a lot of territorial pressure but didn’t really threaten the Clutton goal. We were also looking just a bit edgy at the back and in the 25th minute a Clutton attacker fired in a shot from the edge of the box that flew past the far post. They followed this up a minute later by taking the lead but the goal was a disaster for Westlands defensively. A ball over the top found the Clutton #11 totally unmarked just on the edge of the centre circle with a free run in on goal. He took the chance well, racing in to drive the ball past the advancing Louis Martin to make it 1-0 to the visitors. The first goal was crucial and to gift it to the opposition was disappointing. Clutton had their tails up now and Louis Martin made a good save from a corner kick to keep it at 1-0. Westlands were trying a bit too hard now, taking too many touches when sometimes an easy pass was on. Nevertheless, just before the break we almost levelled things up when Henry Lawrence-Napier fizzed over a low cross and Jamie Green just failed to connect at the far post.

The first half hadn’t panned out well for Westlands. Although we had our fair share of the ball we hadn’t been able to create many chances and Clutton had always looked that bit sharper in attack.

The team lined up for the second half with Jamie Green at centre forward in an attempt to shake things up but we returned from the tea bar just in time to see the ball cannon off the Westlands crossbar and get scrambled away. That was a let off but Westlands pushed forward and a corner in the 52nd minute almost brought the equaliser. Dwayne Forshaw fired it over and Henry Lawrence-Napier got a strong head to it and forced a good save from the Clutton keeper. Five minutes later Louis Martin made another good save, diving to get his hand to a low shot. As we moved into the last 20 minutes a crucial period of play and a tale of two penalties decided this tie. Well, it was actually a tale of one penalty as the other one wasn’t given. First Dwayne Forshaw was barged to the ground as he drove into the Clutton box and was about to pull the trigger. Play on said the referee, to the amazement of the Westland players and most of the crowd. Then, a few minutes later a collision in the Westlands box saw their player go to ground and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. A bitter blow for the Westland team and the spot kick was despatched to make it 2-0. The disappointment in the Westland players was clearly evident and, with their concentration flagging, we conceded again 4 minutes later. This time a Clutton defender got up unmarked to head in a corner kick and that wrapped the game up at 3-0. Westlands rallied and tried desperately to get a goal back. A free kick from Jamie Green was deflected into the keeper’s arms and finally a shot from Steve Flynn was saved.

The result was a big disappointment as we would have liked a run in the county cup but, to be honest, we didn’t really look like winning this match and all we can do is wish Clutton well in the next round.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to skipper WILL IRELAND who came into the game carrying an injury, but got stuck in and led by example in an effort to rally the team. His workrate and effort in the middle of the park was first class.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5. M.Mullings 6.S.Flynn 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8. W.Ireland (C) 9. D.Forshaw 10.J.Green 11. L.Howchin 12.M.Phillips.

Saturday 29th Oct 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS  3  BRIDPORT RES 0

It was a perfect autumn day at Alvington, warm and windless, as the teams took the field so we were looking forward to a good game. Westlands were without regular keeper Sam Watts, out with a shoulder injury, and this gave a first team debut for Louis Martin, stepping up from the Under 18 and Reserve teams. With Louis Irwin back at university, Jamie Green started in the number 10 shirt and on the bench we had Matt Mullings, Matt Phillips and Lewis Howchin, who was making his return to first team duty for the first time this season following a long spell out injured. We also welcomed an old Westland’s favourite James Smith who was in goal for the visitors and finally, with a minute’s silence in respect of a Bridport official completed and league chairman Mike Mock settled in the director’s box behind the goal, we were ready to start.

Westlands pressed forward from the start and in the 2nd minute forced a corner on the left. Leo Hayward swung the ball in and it was headed on by Matt Watson to fellow central defender SCOTT SMITH, who forced it over the line. What a start for Westlands and they really looked in the mood now with some fast raids causing the Bridport defence all sorts of problems. In the 10th minute a long kick from Louis Martin put Leo Hayward away and he raced into the box but put his shot into the side netting. A couple of minutes later it was the Westlands defence who almost got caught out by a long ball. Louis Martin decided to come off his line but got caught short and when the ball was lobbed over his head Sam Plumley was quick to cover and scooped the ball off the line to safety. It wasn’t long before Sports were back on the attack and in the 18th minute we made it 2-0. Again it came from a corner, and again the ball was headed down this time to MATT WATSON who slammed it into the back of the net. A minute later Louis Martin made a confident save as Bridport got a shot on target and immediately Westlands responded with a lovely through ball sending Leo Hayward running in on goal but his shot went just wide. Leo’s hard running backed up by the pace and drive of Henry Lawrence-Napier and Dwayne Forshaw was a potent weapon for Sports and another attack in the 25th minute opened up their defence but Jamie Green missed the target from 10 yards. Bridport responded and their #9 tried a spectacular overhead kick that just cleared the crossbar. Another fast attack from Westlands ended with Dwayne Forshaw heading over at the far post then a clever back heel by Dwayne set Leo up with a chance but he blasted over the top. Just before the break the ball dropped to a Bridport player just outside the box and he fired in a great shot that had Louis Martin diving full length to tip over the bar. A great save and one that made sure we went in at the interval with a nice 2-0 lead.

At 2-0 the next goal can be vital as the third one can often settle the result and with this in mind Sports came out with all guns blazing and scored within 3 minutes of the restart. Dwayne Forshaw made a good run down the right wing bursting past a couple of defenders. When he got to the byline he cut in, drew another defender and then played the ball across the face of the goal where JAMIE GREEN was waiting to sidefoot it into the corner of the net. That was the goal we wanted and surely there was no way back for the visitors now. Two minutes later Jamie Green made a strong run down the left and his driven cross was met full on the run by Henry Lawrence-Napier whose bullet header seemed net bound for sure. That was until James Smith the Bridport keeper stuck up a strong arm and somehow deflected the ball away. A brilliant instinctive save and one of the best seen at Alvington this season. As the hour mark approached so the subs were brought into play and first on for Westlands was Lewis Howchin who replaced Dwayne Forshaw. The game began to get away from Westlands a bit now with the passing getting a bit ragged and, with nothing to lose, Bridport pushed their centre-half up front and had perhaps their best spell of the game. On 70 minutes Matt Mullings replaced Jamie Green as Westlands looked to preserve the three goal lead. The Bridport number 5 then had a good attempt that just grazed the outside of the post showing they hadn’t given up hope of salvaging something from the game. Leo Hayward was then replaced by Matt Phillips and for the last 10 minutes Sports began to put on the pressure again and had three good chances to increase their lead. A free kick on the edge of the box presented Steve Flynn with a good chance but he fluffed his attempt at goal. Then Steve had another chance when he was put clear but with only the keeper to beat he lobbed his shot over the bar. Then finally Will Ireland was picked out at the far post but he glanced his header wide. No more excitement I’m afraid but a good result for Westlands. As I pointed out in the weekend preview, in the past we have often come unstuck in games like this so it was good to turn in a decent performance and pick up the three points.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER whose energy and hard running were a key component in the Westlands attack. He ran the Bridport defence ragged, particularly in the first half and was a bit unlucky not to get on the score sheet, denied only by that magnificent save.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.S.Flynn 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8. W.Ireland (C) 9.L.Hayward 10.J.Green 11.D.Forshaw 12.M.Mullings 14.L.Howchin 15.M.Phillips.

Saturday 22nd Oct 2016, Dorset Premier League

WAREHAM RANGERS  2  WESTLAND SPORTS  3

Back on the road this week and a trip to Wareham who have proved to be a bit of a bogey side for us recently. Since our return to the DPL two seasons ago we have played them 4 times, losing 2 and drawing 2, so not a good record. At least the 2 draws were on their ground which gave us some hope for today’s game. Sports made three changes following the defeat in the cup last week with Dwayne Forshaw, Louis Irwin and Matt Watson returning to the starting lineup. We also had a strong bench with Jamie Green, Josh Payne and Matt Mullings all ready to play their part. It was a lovely sunny day but the pitch was a bit bumpy so good first touches were required. The autumn sun was also quite low behind one goal so that would play a part as well and as the teams lined up Westlands were facing it in the first half.

The early exchanges saw Sports begin to take control of the ball and the first attempt at goal came from Louis Irwin who fired over the top in the 5th minute. With no danger apparent we then somehow managed to concede the first goal in the 8th minute. A long ball downfield by the home side ran through to Sam Watts, the Westlands keeper, who called on his defenders to leave it and came out to make the clearance. Sam took a touch which wasn’t the best and encouraged a Wareham player to close him down. Under pressure now, the clearance only found the feet of an opposition player almost on the halfway line and he delivered a perfect shot over everyone’s head into the back of the unguarded net. Well, not a great start for Westlands and the shock of the goal rocked us back on our heels for a few minutes. However, in the 12th minute Leo Hayward got us back on the attack with a typical bustling run down the left wing and his final cross to the far post saw Sam Plumley on the end of it but his effort was blocked for a corner. It was noticeable that the home keeper didn’t have a good kick from the ground so he tried to roll everything out to his defenders. This gave Sports the opportunity to push on and press them on the edge of their box which meant they were having some difficulty moving the ball forward. Nevertheless they were capable of some good football and our defence had to be vigilant when they did attack.

In the 17th minute Louis Irwin again put a shot over the top and on 26 minutes Steve Flynn really should have scored but he put his shot past the post from 8 yards. We looked as if we could equalise and in the 43rd minute we thought we had. Leo Hayward fired over a free kick from out on the right and Matt Watson got up above the defenders in a crowded box and powered a header into the back of the net. The referee signalled for a goal and I didn’t see any protests from the home defenders until they spotted the lino’s flag was up. The referee went over and after a long conversation the goal was disallowed, apparently for a Westland’s player impeding an opponent. We were not impressed by this decision, the referee had not seen any infringement in a crowded box and to change his decision on the linesman’s advice was a big call.

The half time tea was soured a bit by a sense of injustice but it appeared to fire up the Westlands players as they came out for the second in determined mood and within 3 minutes had equalised. A deep corner kick was headed back across goal by Matt Watson and SCOTT SMITH volleyed in from about 10 yards out. Westlands had a good spell now and the home team were rocking a bit but in the 57th minute they carved out a good chance but their player put his shot over the bar. Back came Westlands and Scott Smith headed a free kick just past the post. Wareham were giving away quite a few free kicks and we were causing them a few problems when our big men went up. In the 62nd minute our pressure paid off when we went ahead with a cracking goal. Louis Irwin made good ground into the opposition half and he slipped a perfect pass to LEO HAYWARD on the edge of the box. Leo took a couple of steps before smashing the ball into the roof of the net from 15 yards out. A great goal, well set up and well finished. This was a really exciting game now and Sam Watts had to make a diving save down to his left post to keep out a well driven shot as Wareham tried to fight back. In the 66th minute a last ditch tackle by a Wareham defender stopped Dwayne Forshaw from converting a perfect Leo Hayward cross at the far post. A couple of minutes later Dwayne was substituted and Josh Payne came on.  Josh quickly got involved and in the 70th minute he had the Wareham defence in a panic when he dribbled into the box and laid the ball back on a plate for Steve Flynn about 8 yards out. Unfortunately, Steve leaned back and spooned his shot over the bar and a crucial chance was gone to stretch our lead to two goals. At only 2-1 it was close and in an attempt to keep things tight Leo Hayward and Will Ireland were replaced by Jamie Green and Matt Mullings. This looked to be having the desired effect until the 85th minute when Wareham equalised. A deep cross from the left wing was met at the far post by a Wareham attacker and he planted a header into the net to make it 2-2. We were now rueing that earlier miss but the Westland players rolled up their sleeves and pushed forward looking for the winner. And in the 88th minute we found it and it came as a result of another free kick conceded inside their own half by the opposition. The free kick was sent deep beyond the far post where Scott Smith managed to head it back across goal to STEVE FLYNN who this time kept his composure and despatched the ball into the corner of the net. Great celebrations from the Westlands players and bench and, in our eyes, a fitting end to the game.

On reflection afterwards perhaps we made this game harder than it should have been really. We conceded a soft goal and missed a couple of sitters which is often a recipe for disaster, however, we did the job in the end and credit to the players for grabbing the three points at the death.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to SCOTT SMITH. It was a close call between Scott and Matt Watson who were both a real danger at set pieces all afternoon.  Both had the ball in the net and both set up goals with headers back across the box, but as Scott's goal counted and he also set up that winning goal I'm giving him the award.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts 2.S.Plumley 3.P.Wells 4.M.Watson 5.Scott Smith 6.S.Flynn 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8. W.Ireland (C) 9.L.Hayward 10.L.Irwin 11.D.Forshaw 12.J.Green 14.J.Payne 15.M.Mullings.

Saturday 15th Oct 2016, Dorset Premier League Cup 1st Rnd

WESTLAND SPORTS  1 MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 5

A Dorset Premier League Cup 1st round match and the holders, Merley Cobham Sports were the visitors so we needed a good performance. Matt Phillips was given a start at centre half in place of Matt Watson and with Jamie Irwin unavailable Josh Payne returned to the side.  We also had had Dwayne Forshaw returning from injury and he was joined on the bench by Sam Gibbs and Matt Watson.

We kicked off in dry weather but the forecast was for heavy rain and we could see the storm clouds gathering out to the west. The warning signs were there out on the pitch as well, with the visitors starting briskly and looking in the mood with some good passing and movement. Westlands hadn’t got out of first gear and our only option when we did get possession was to punt a hopeful long ball upfield. In the 13th minute we were punished for our sloppy start. A corner from the left by Cobham was swung over to the far post where their #9, who had been identified before the game as a danger man, was left unmarked and he headed the ball powerfully into the net from about 5 yards out. Not the start we wanted but Westlands gradually began to creep into the game and with half an hour on the clock had managed to push Cobham back and force a couple of corners. In the 35th minute came a crucial moment for the home side. Henry Lawrence-Napier latched on to a through pass and drove into the opposition box where he was tripped and brought down. A clear penalty we thought, but Mr Froud waved play on for no apparent reason. That was a big decision, or non decision rather,  for Westlands and, as so often happens in these cases, within 2 minutes the opposition have scored again to make it 2-0 instead of a possible 1-1. The move started with a long diagonal pass to the Cobham #9 out on the left. He drove to the byeline, cut back onto his favoured right foot, and drilled a low shot into the net at the near post. Not good defending to say the least by Westlands and we now had a big task on our hands to get back into this game. For the remaining minutes of the half we were forced to defend as the visitor’s, boyed by the second goal, pressed forward playing some nice passing football.

Not a lot of optimism around the tea bar at half time as the rain was now pouring down and Westlands lethargic first half performance didn’t offer much hope. A change was made at the break with Dwayne Forshaw replacing Steve Flynn who had to retire with blurred vision. Possibly this explained a quiet first 45 for the normally ebullient midfielder.

Westlands were competing better now with Dwayne offering some extra pace out on the flanks but it was the visitors who went close in the 60th minute when they had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for a foul on Sam Watts, the Westlands keeper. At last, in the 70th minute we got back into the game. JOSH PAYNE cut in from the right and from the edge of the box fired a low daisycutter which flashed across the sodden turf into the far corner of the net. Westlands could go for it now and Leo Hayward cut in and shot past the post. But just as we seemed to be building up a head of steam we shot ourselves in the foot. A rather needless free kick was given away just outside the box on the left side and their #9 whipped a vicious shot into the goalmouth. Sam Watts managed to parry the ball onto the crossbar and a Cobham player was first to react and stuck the rebound away. Again not the best defending as we all seemed to crowd into the goalmouth making it almost impossible for our goalkeeper. A crucial goal, and with only 15 minutes left, Cobham could just keep it tight and play out time.

We brought on our remaining 2 subs but there was no way back for Westlands and Cobham were looking comfortable. They weren’t pushing many men forward but those that were up the field were now being given the freedom of Alvington by their generous hosts. In the 86th minute the ball was crossed for the #9 to pick his spot and make it 4-1 and in stoppage time he ran straight through the Westlands defence and slotted the ball in the corner for number five.

We were glad to hear the final whistle as we had been well beaten and everyone was soaked to the skin. Not a day we will want to remember but to be fair we were up against a side who really were up for a cup tie and played some good football. Westlands on the other hand didn’t really do themselves justice but hopefully it’s just a one off and we can raise our game in the league next week.

The Man-of-the match award this week goes to LYNDA WATSON  whose half-time cup of tea was without doubt the highlight of an otherwise miserable afternoon !

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Phillips, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10. H.Lawrence-Napier, 11.J.Green, 12. D.Forshaw, 14.S.Gibbs, 15.M.Watson.

Saturday 8th Oct 2016, Dorset Premier League

HAMWORTHY RECREATION  1  WESTLAND SPORTS  0

As games go, away to Hamworthy Recreation is about as tough as it gets in the DPL but with Sports improved form this season, we were looking forward to the match with some confidence. The weather was fine and the pitch was looking in excellent condition with evidence of some new drainage having been put in and some lovely new dugouts over on the far side.

Westlands started off on the front foot straight from the kick-off and for the first 10 minutes we were well on top, dominating possession and not giving the opposition any time on the ball. Having said that, we didn’t really create a good opening and the early goal we were hoping for just didn’t materialise. Hamworthy eventually put a good attack together and forced the first corner of the game in 12 minutes. The ball came right across goal and a Hamworthy player, lurking beyond the far post, put it into the side net. That was the first real chance of the game but it wasn’t long before Westlands hit back with Jamie Irwin being put clear but his shot was saved by the diving keeper. Another Hamworthy corner in the 25th minute saw Sam Watts, the Westlands keeper, come out into the crowded box and catch the ball confidently. A couple of minutes later a Hamworthy shot from outside the box went by the post. This was a really tight match played at a high pace, with neither side able to create a real opening. In the 38th minute some clever interplay by Hamworthy out on the right put their player in behind the Westlands defence where he was brought down by Scott Smith. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and indicated a penalty kick ! The Westlands defenders were adamant the tackle was outside the box and were pointing to a divot in the turf as proof. The referee then consulted the linesman and after a conflab he overturned his decision and gave a free kick just outside the box. It was then the turn of the Hamworthy players to be incensed in particular their #7 who was demanding a yellow card for Scott ! Anyway the free kick was scrambled away and a dodgy moment for Sports had passed. In the 42nd minute the Hamworthy #11, who had a good first half and was a constant threat, fired over a good cross but again Sam Watts caught it confidently. The final action of the half saw a simple ball over the top give their #9 a chance but he put his shot well over.

A half time score of 0-0 was probably about right as Westlands had dominated early on but the home side had come back and finished the half strongly. It was one of these games where it was obvious there wasn’t going to be many goals so the first goal was vital but the mood in the Westlands camp was positive as we felt we had given a good account of ourselves in the first half.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have long to wait for that opening goal and it was the home side who scored it in the 52nd minute. Their winger swivelled and put over a cross that dropped just outside the penalty box where it was flicked on to their #9 who just managed to get his foot to the ball and lift it over the advancing Sam Watts. Perhaps just a moment of hesitation by Westlands players and maybe the shape got a bit ragged but its small margins that can decide games and Hamworthy had taken the chance when it came. The home side took confidence from the goal and started moving the ball around confidently putting us under a bit of pressure but we just needed a few minutes get over the loss of the goal and we were soon pushing forward looking for an equaliser. Just after the hour mark, we made 2 substitutions with Ryan McGuinn and Sam Gibbs coming on for Jamie Green and Will Ireland. In the 65th minute came perhaps Westlands best chance of the game. A free kick about 25 yards out was thumped goalwards by Leo Hayward. The keeper dropped the ball and Scott Smith, following up, hit the post with his shot which was then scrambled away. In the 75th minute Matt Watson was replaced by Matt Mullings as Westlands continued to press for that elusive goal. Steve Flynn hit a low drive from the edge of the box but the keeper got down to save and a good run and shot from Leo Hayward forced the keeper into another good save. As Sports pressed forward, pushing Scott Smith up front, they almost got caught out in the 83rd minute when a Hamworthy sub ran on to a long ball in behind the Westlands defence however he missed the target with his shot.  Hamworthy were happy now just to play out time and with their backline solid there was no way through for Westlands and the final whistle ended a good match but a frustrating one from Westlands point of view.

A 1-0 defeat is always hard to take and the Sports players were gutted as it follows another 1-0 defeat at Merley Cobham two games ago. On this occasion we just didn’t have the cutting edge to create clear goal scoring chances and it was one of these days where you end up thinking we could play for another hour and still not score. To be fair our opponents didn’t create that many chances either but obviously they found a way in the end to grab the three points. We still have lots of positives to take from our season so far and we believe we can give anybody a game so there’s a long way to go yet and we know a few good results will put us right back in the running.

The Man-of-the match title this week goes to SAM WATTS  who was safe as houses in goal for Westlands. In particular his handling of crosses into the box was excellent and over the 90 minutes he never put a foot wrong.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10. H.Lawrence-Napier, 11.J.Green, 12. M.Mullings, 14.S.Gibbs, 15.R.McGuinn.

Saturday 24th Sept 2016, Dorset Premier League

BLANDFORD UTD  1  WESTLAND SPORTS  4

As indicated in the match preview we usually have close games at Blandford but Westlands form has been good lately despite last week’s 1-0 loss so we were looking to win this one. There was a strong blustery wind blowing across the rec so that would play a part but the grass was quite long so the ball would hold up, especially up on the high side of the slope. Westlands made one change to the starting line up with Josh Payne replacing the injured Dwayne Forshaw and on the bench Ryan McGuinn, an Under 18s player, was introduced and he was joined by Matt Phillips and Chris Wells.

Westlands pressed forward in the early exchanges and were rewarded with a goal in the third minute.  Sam Plumley made it by chasing down a lost cause. As a home defender tried to shepherd the ball over the bye-line for a goal kick Sam robbed him and cut the ball back to STEVE FLYNN who thumped it into the back of the net via the underside of the bar. A great start for Sports but in an odd way it seemed to make us relax too much and we seemed to take our eye off the ball for a bit. In the 8th minute Sam Watts was called into action to save a low free kick and shortly after this we had a let off when the Blandford #10 headed in a cross from the left but he was rightly flagged offside. Nevertheless it was a warning sign but the home side had a bit of momentum now and after 11 minutes their speedy right winger outpaced the Westlands defence but Sam Watts dived and turned his shot round the post. There was an interesting difference in the styles of the two sides with Westlands trying a more methodical approach but eventually losing the ball with a misplaced pass, while Blandford were getting the ball forward early in behind the Sports defence. It was the latter style that was looking most dangerous with the ball moving in the wind giving the Westlands defenders some uneasy moments. In the 39th minute Blandford equalised with a goal which will give the Westlands team nightmares. A high wind assisted kick soared into Westlands half with the back line totally misjudging its flight. As Matt Watson back pedalled the ball dropped over his head, bounced over keeper Sam Watts who had rushed out to the edge of the box, and was tucked into the empty net by a gleeful Blandford #7 who had been following up. What a disaster and although we continued to enjoy some good possession the cutting edge just wasn’t there and the half time whistle blew with the teams locked at 1-1 which was probably about right on the evidence of the first half.

Manager Harry Gibbs had some strong words with his team over the half-time oranges and we hoped it would have some effect as the first half had not been up to the standard we have come to expect this season.

Westlands did look to be up for it in the second half and with the wind now assisting were soon pressing forward. In the 50th minute a nice pass from Henry Lawrence-Napier split the Blandford defence and put Leo Hayward in the clear. Unfortunately Leo fluffed his shot and the chance was gone. Then a Blandford player broke away down the left, cut in, and drilled a shot just past the far post to keep the Westlands defence on their toes. Back down at the other end a goalbound shot from Jamie Irwin was tipped round the post by the Blandford keeper and the inswinging corner was headed away off the line. In the 70th minute the first substitution for Westlands saw Ryan McGuinn come on for his first team debut with Leo Hayward replaced after his usual hard working performance. Josh Payne was moved to the central strikers role and Ryan took Josh’s place out on the left. And what a move this turned out to be as 3 minutes later we scored and it was JOSH PAYNE who scored it. He showed good close control in the box before smashing a shot into the roof of the net from an acute angle. What a cracking goal that was and we weren’t finished yet. Two minutes later we made it 3-1 and it was that man Josh Payne who did the damage again, bursting into the box, and thumping a shot goalwards. Well, that was the intention but he got his direction wrong and the ball flew right across the face of the goal where RYAN McGUINN was on the spot to knock in a debut goal.

Westlands were rampant now but a note of caution was introduced with Henry Lawrence-Napier being taken off and replaced by the more defence minded Chris Wells. A sensible move really as Blandford had pushed their big number 6 up front so an extra body at the back was a good plan. We were holding them quite comfortably now with Chris Wells prominent and with their #6 up front Blandford were looking vulnerable at the back to our attacks. Nevertheless in a further move to control the game we made our final substitution in the 86th minute with Matt Phillips replacing Josh Payne up front under instructions just to hold on to the ball. This he did very well and in the final minute our constant attacks produced the fourth goal. The ball fell to JAMIE IRWIN in the box and he turned and swept a fine shot into the far corner. That was it and the final action was the full time whistle from referee Mr Brokenshaw who I thought had handled the game very well throughout.

Another three points were very welcome and especially on a day when we did not play at our best but the conditions weren’t great and didn’t really suit us. Some worrying aspects to our game in the first half but the second had seen a much improved performance particularly in the last half hour although I suspect our opponents were tiring a bit by then.

The Man-of-the match title this week goes to SAM PLUMLEY  who was a constant menace to the Blandford defence with his raiding runs down the right wing. He set up the first goal and never stopped running until the final whistle, so a deserved award. 

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10. Henry Lawrence-Napier, 11.J.Payne, 12. M.Phillips, 14.C.Wells, 15.R.McGuinn.

Saturday 17th Sept 2016, Dorset Premier League

MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 1  WESTLAND SPORTS 0

We travelled to Merley Cobham in confident mood after a run of three victories but we knew this would be a tough one against one of the favourites for the title. Josh Payne was missing due to work commitments and Louis Irwin was unavailable but we had Leo Hayward back to lead the attack and Dwayne Forshaw returned to the team out on the left with Henry Lawrence-Napier taking a central role. The pitch was in lovely condition with really lush turf and not a weed in sight so obviously a lot of hard work by the Merley groundsman.

Westlands started brightly attacking the clubhouse end and in the 4th minute Dwayne Forshaw fired in a shot that the Merley keeper turned over the bar. Nothing came of the corner but Westlands were continuing to press and in the 12th minute a neat pass from Leo Hayward split the home defence, Jamie Irwin ran on to it but the keeper narrowed the angle and deflected the shot round the post. After 20 mintes a free kick 25 yards out was driven in low by Leo Hayward but the keeper again got down to save. Their goalkeeper was having a busy afternoon while at the other end Sam Watts had hardly been troubled. Merley were deploying a long ball tactic for their #9 to chase and he had a bit of pace so had to be watched but so far Scott Smith had dealt with him fairly comfortably. The chances kept coming, Jamie Irwin shot into the side net and then a real let off for the home side. Steve Flynn lofted a free kick goalwards, the keeper came out to punch, missed the ball completely and was a lucky man to see a colleague clear off the line. The first half hour had been dominated by Westlands with just the odd long ball to deal with but as we ticked past the 30 minutes Merley began to push men forward.  For once we stood off them and were made to pay in the 32nd minute. A Merley player wasn’t closed down out on the left and his cross/shot came off the face of the bar and was headed back across goal to the far post where their #10 forced it over the line after  a goal-line scramble. This was a shock to the Westlands team gave the opposition a little bit of a boost but we settled down and were pushing forward again as the half drew to a close.

We felt we were unfortunate to be 1-0 down at half time but it’s the old story, you have to take your chances when they come or it could prove costly. However we had shown we could create chances so we were confident for the second half.

Presumably with their manager's wake up call ringing in their ears, the home side had a good few minutes after the break and Sam Watts made a good instinctive save when the ball was fired through a crowd of players. He then had to deal with a couple of high balls into the box as Merley put on a bit of pressure.

However in the 48th minute a long raking crossfield ball from Dwayne Forshaw put Leo Hayward in behind the Merley defence but once again their keeper managed to save with his legs. The ball broke to Jamie Irwin but his shot came back out off the crossbar and was cleared. Sam Watts had to make a good save shortly after this and then Steve Flynn put a shot just over. With 30 minutes to go Westlands began to really pile on the pressure looking for the equaliser. Jamie Irwin had a chance but scooped his shot over the bar. At this point Sam Gibbs replaced Will Ireland to give us some fresh legs for the final push. In the 69th minute Steve Flynn made a great run from deep and his curling shot from the edge of the box beat the keeper all ends up and cannoned off the inside of the post. Unfortunately the ball fell to a Merley player who hoofed it clear. Steve Flynn had another shot in the 73rd minute, just past the post this time. In the 75th minute Merley had another big let off. Leo Hayward went full tilt at the home defence and they couldn’t live with his pace as he charged into the box. A chasing defender just clipped him and he stumbled which gave the Merley keeper time to dash out and dive at his feet as Leo desperately tried to get a foot to the ball. Huge shout for a penalty from the Westlands players but the referee waved play on. Some spectators suggested afterward that if Leo had gone down he would have got the penalty but there were differing opinions on that one. In the 84th minute Henry Lawrence-Napier, who was cramping up, was replaced by Matt Phillips and with Scott Smith now up front Westlands kept the pressure on but Merley were getting lots of men behind the ball and were proving difficult to break down. The final good chance came with a minute to go. Westlands were awarded a free kick just outside the box slightly left of centre. This was a good chance as Leo Hayward and Dwayne Forshaw both shaped up to take the kick. It was Dwayne who hit a fierce shot that cleared the wall, dipped, and would you believe it, came back out off the crossbar and again fell to a defender who scrambled it away. There was just time for Steve Flynn to have one last shot at goal but again he missed the target and that was it, full time whistle.

We were gutted not to take anything from this match but you have to take the positives out of the game and I think we proved we can take on any team in the league with confidence. However the lesson learned is that we must be more clinical in converting our chances for, as Merley showed, that’s what wins you games.

Lots of credit to the Westland team, though, for putting on an excellent display and, on reflection, it just wasn’t our day and sometimes thats the way it goes.

The Man-of-the match title this week goes to STEVE FLYNN  who dominated the midfield particularly in the second half when he was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet with that shot that came off the post.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10. Henry Lawrence-Napier, 11.D.Forshaw, 12. S.Gibbs, 14. M.Phillips.

Saturday 10th Sept 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 20  CRANBORNE 0

What a day this turned out to be with Sports running up a cricket score against bottom of the table Cranborne. It was a day our opponents will want to forget. They turned up with 10 men, another two apparently on their way but delayed by a road accident. As they still hadn’t arrived by kick-off time they started the match one short and facing a Westlands side who had scored 10 goals in their last two games. Team wise Sports had a couple of changes from last week. Leo Hayward was unavailable and Dwayne Forshaw was injured so Josh Payne came in on the right with Jamie Irwin taking the central striker’s role.

A couple of early chances fell to Will Ireland who failed to find the target on both occasions. Henry Lawrence-Napier then had a shot and the Cranborne keeper pulled off a good save. The visitors had their first chance with an audacious lob from about 40 yards which Sam Watts had to watch carefully as it landed on the roof of the net. Next Josh Payne headed wide before, in the 19th minute we eventually broke the deadlock. Josh made a good run down the right and fed JAMIE IRWIN who controlled the ball and coolly side footed it past the keeper. Cranborne hadn’t done too badly up to that point but after the first goal went in one or two heads went down and they just folded under pressure. Three minutes later, in the 22nd minute, JOSH PAYNE was put through by a nice pass and he fired a good shot into the far corner to make it 2-0. Three more minutes, another goal ! This time Phil Wells made a good run down the left and his cut back was side footed in by JAMIE IRWIN to put us 3 up. In the 27th minute Josh Payne put over a cross, the keeper dropped it, and LOUIS IRWIN accepted the gift. That was 4-0 and in the 30th minute it was 5. Jamie Irwin set up LOUIS IRWIN to score easily. Cranborne had completely lost it now and needed to start battling or this could be embarrassing. Not much sign of that though as in the 31st minute we scored again to make it 6. JAMIE IRWIN ran on to a through ball and scored easily with no defenders in sight. 33 minutes on the clock and its 7.  JAMIE IRWIN again ran through unchallenged, he managed to bundle the ball past the keeper and slotted in the empty net. At this point I was struggling to keep up with the goals which were flying in every couple of minutes ! We made it 8-0 in the 35th minute with a classic goal. Sam Plumley bombed down the right wing, fired over a low cross and JOSH PAYNE side footed in on the run. In the 38th minute Henry Lawrence-Napier missed a gilt edged chance to get on the score sheet when he hit the keeper with his shot when clean through. Then Sam Plumley hit the post before, in the 44th minute we scored the final goal of the half when a Jamie Irwin shot was deflected into the net for an OWN GOAL to make it 9-0 at the break.

It had been a good first half for Westlands but an awful one for Cranborne. Of course it’s difficult with 10 men but they were only one down after 20 minutes so in the last 25 minutes of the half they let in a further 8 goals which averages one every three minutes. Anyway it was just a case of trying to keep the score down for them while for Westlands they were looking to boost their goal stats.

One substitution for Westlands at the break with Matt Phillips replacing Matt Watson. I was still returning from the tea bar with my cuppa when the teams kicked off and Sports ran straight down the field and scored the tenth goal in the 46th minute. Jamie Irwin squared to JOSH PAYNE who netted from close range. In the 49th minute JOSH PAYNE scored again from close range to make it 11-0 and three minutes later JOSH PAYNE scored his third goal in 7 minutes to make the score 12-0, this time passing the ball into the net after he had been set up by Henry Lawrence-Napier. In the 54th minute another OWN GOAL made it 13-0 as Westlands piled on the agony. Cranborne were looking very tired now and in the 61st minute Sam Plumley was brought down in the box for a penalty which LOUIS IRWIN drilled low into the corner to make it 14-0. With 63 minutes gone Henry Lawrence-Napier crossed for JAMIE IRWIN to tuck the ball in the net (15-0) and in the 66th minute it was 16-0 when JOSH PAYNE ran through a static Cranborne defence to score easily. Then a Westlands player gave the ball away in his own half putting the Cranborne centre forward clean through. But Sam Watts in the Westlands goal was determined to keep his clean sheet and he rushed out to make a good save. In the 78th minute normal service was resumed with JOSH PAYNE ran through the Cranborne defence, rounded the keeper, and put the ball in the empty net to make the score 17-0. At this point, with 10 minutes to go, the Westlands manager showed some sympathy to the beleaguered Cranborne defenders by removing Josh Payne who had 7 goals to his credit and replacing him with the evergreen Sam Gibbs. Still the goals kept coming and in the 81st minute it was 18-0, again from the penalty spot. LOUIS IRWIN was upended and stuck the kick away himself. In the 86th minute it was 19-0, LOUIS IRWIN running through to score and in the last minute we made it 20-0 when STEVE FLYNN hit a daisycutter from 20 yards which slipped under the keepers body.  That was a pity as the Cranborne keeper hadn’t had a bad game considering he had to pick the ball out the net twenty times !

Difficult to sum up a game like that, but we have to give credit to the Westlands team, who never let up and really destroyed the opposition who were poor on the day.

The Man-of-the match title this week goes to JOSH PAYNE who looked as if he could run through and score every time he got the ball and it’s not often we have a player scoring seven goals in a game so a well merited award.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Payne, 8.W.Ireland, 9.J.Irwin, 10.L.Irwin, 11. Henry Lawrence-Napier, 12. S.Gibbs 14. M.Phillips.

Saturday 3rd Sept 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 5  HAMWORTHY UTD RES  1

Westlands followed up the 5-1 defeat of Sturminster Newton with another 5-1 victory against Hamworthy.

The weather was horrendous with pouring rain and a strong wind blowing so not ideal conditions. Sports made one change with Dwayne Forshaw, who has been an ever present this season, having a rest and Henry Lawrence-Napier coming in on the left of midfield. Leo Hayward, who has been in good form lately, found himself clean through on goal in only the 3rd minute after a defence splitting pass from Will Ireland. Unfortunately Leo’s shot was too close to the keeper and he made the block. Good start by Sports and a minute later we went ahead from the penalty spot. LOUIS IRWIN was brought down in the box and stepped up to smash the kick down the middle with the keeper getting a hand to it. Hamworthy came back with a low skidding shot on the wet turf which Sam Watts in Westlands goal did well to gather. Westlands were pressing and from a corner in the 12th minute Scott Smith headed over from 6 yards out. In the 19th minute Scott repeated the miss, again heading over from a corner. A minute later Will Ireland pulled his shot wide as Westlands continued to squander chances to open up a two goal lead. We were made to pay in the 35th minute. A free kick on the edge of the box was deflected by the wall, Sam Watts got a hand to it but could only deflect the ball into the roof of the net. Hamworthy were back in the game and for the rest of the half it was a fairly even battle, the best chance falling to Westlands when Will Ireland glanced a header goalwards from a corner but it was cleared off the line.

Honours even at half time but the feeling was Westlands should have had the game sewn up with the chances they missed. A slight change in the weather when the wind dropped made things a bit easier for the players in the second half although the rain was still tipping down.

Westlands looked as if they meant business now and 3 minutes into the second half a Will Ireland lob from distance went just over. Then in the 50th minute a slick passing move saw Louis Irwin shoot into the side net from close range. A goal was coming and it arrived in the 55th minute when a corner by Leo Hayward was headed back out to him by a defender. Leo put over a high cross and MATT WATSON headed in from 10 yards. Now that Westlands had their noses in front they wasted no time in putting the game beyond doubt. Two minutes after taking the lead we made it 3-1. HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER laid the ball out to Sam Plumley on the right and when he drove over a low cross it was Henry who was on the end of it, sliding in to put the ball in the net from close range. Hamworthy looked dejected now and in the 65th minute we made it 4-1. LEO HAYWARD smashed a free kick fom the edge of the box goalwards and the keeper could only help the ball into the net. In the 70th minute Will Ireland was replaced in centre midfield by Ben Johnson who was making his debut for the club. In the 75th minute Hamworthy created their first real chance of the half but a good cross was headed over the top. A couple of minutes later Westlands scored again. Sam Plumley made a good overlap down the right, crossed to LEO HAYWARD and he thumped the ball in at the second attempt. At 5-1 it was definitely game over but there was still 10 minutes to go so the two remaining subs were brought on. Dwayne Forshaw replaced Jamie Irwin out on the right and in a surprise move, Matt Phillips, normally a central defender, replaced Leo Hayward up front.  Dwayne Forshaw tried to get his name on the score sheet but the keeper made a good save to deny him.

That was it, another excellent 5-1 victory for Westlands on a day that both teams should be congratulated for putting on an enjoyable match in such appalling conditions.

The Man-of-the match award goes to SAM PLUMLEY, who was always supporting his team mates by giving them an out ball down the right and his deliveries into the box provided two goals so a good all round display.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10.L.Irwin, 11. Henry Lawrence-Napier, 12. D.Forshaw, 14. M.Phillips, B.Johnson.

Tuesday 30th August 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 5  STURMINSTER NEWTON UTD 1

Once again Westlands bounced back from defeat to record a big win in the last of the midweek fixtures.

Following Saturday’s disappointment against Dorchester the manager surprisingly named an unchanged team and they didn’t let him down with an excellent win. Our opponents had won 2, lost 2 and drawn 1 of their first 5 matches with Westlands having won 3 and lost 2  so a good game was in prospect and a glorious sunny evening at Alvington was the perfect setting.

Westlands got off to the perfect start with a goal in the fourth minute. Louis Irwin bustled past a defender and drove into the box where he was brought down for a penalty. We don’t have a great record of converting spot kicks but LOUIS IRWIN stepped up himself and stroked the ball into the corner of the net to make it 1-0 to Sports. Westlands were looking sharp with some crisp passing causing the visitors problems. It was no real surprise, therefore, when we doubled our lead in the 13th minute. Leo Hayward went storming down the right, squared the ball across the area and LOUIS IRWIN thumped it in, great stuff ! It was all Westlands now and Stur were struggling to get a foothold in the game. In the 20th minute Louis Irwin got to the bye line and cut the ball back to Will Ireland whose shot missed the target. Shortly after Leo Hayward made another great run, driving into the opponents penalty area. He squared the ball to Dwayne Forshaw and a goal looked certain but a last ditch tackle blocked his shot. Sam Watts in the Westlands goal hadn’t had a shot to save at this point, only having to field a few long balls and watch a couple of efforts sail wide of the target. In the 37th minute Leo Hayward again drove into the box but this time his shot was saved. In the final minute of the half, that man LEO HAYWARD finally got the goal he deserved. He went racing off down the right wing, cut in and slipped the ball past the keeper from an acute angle. A lovely goal and a fitting way to end the first half with Westlands now firmly in the driving seat with a three goal lead.

As daylight was at a premium, we had a shortened break and the visitor’s, with their manager’s words of advice still ringing in their ears, came out looking a bit more positive and began to string a few passes together. After 10 minutes Sports made their first substitution to freshen things up, Henry Lawrence-Napier replacing Dwayne Forshaw. This almost paid dividends straight away when some good passing opened up the Stur defence and put Henry in on goal. He drew the keeper and placed his shot past him but agonisingly it hit the base of the far post and was cleared. That was a real let off for the visitors but they could do nothing to prevent Westland’s fourth goal in the 65th minute. Steve Flynn made a run out of defence with the ball and an interchange of quick passes put LOUIS IRWIN in on goal behind the bemused Stur defence and his shot looped over the diminutive keeper into the back of the net. That fourth goal was a thing of beauty and signalled two more substitutions by Westlands, Jamie Plain replacing Jamie Irwin and Matt Phillips coming on for Scott Smith who seemed to be in some discomfort as he limped from the field. In the 70th minute Matt Watson headed a corner over the crossbar but Sports were getting a little bit sloppy now with a few misplaced passes. Nevertheless in the 80th minute we made it 5-0 and a bizarre goal it was. The ball fell to Matt Phillips about 15 yards inside his OWN half and with no options on, and an opponent closing him down he just wellied the ball high into the evening sky towards the Sturminster Newton goal. With the keeper advancing rather nervously from his goal the ball took a huge bounce on the edge of the area and soared over his head towards the goal. The goalie was running backwards and, to be fair, did well to leap up and get a fingertip to the ball. Unfortunately for him it came back out off the crossbar straight into the path of HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER who was following up and he only had to put the ball in the empty net as the keeper was still sprawled on the deck. A nice assist for Matt Phillips and probably the easiest goal Henry will ever score. Not funny really but it was hard not to laugh ! So, 5-0 to Westlands and with 10 minutes to go our thoughts began to turn to keeping a clean sheet as this is always a target for the team. All was going well until the 88th minute when we gifted our opponents a consolation goal. Matt Watson tried to dribble his way out of defence past three opponents and was duly robbed of the ball. As a Stur forward advanced into the box Steve Flynn raced after him and hacked him down from behind for a penalty kick. The kick was planted into the net to make the final score 5-1 to Westlands. A great evening’s work by the team but the loss of that silly goal at the death just took a bit of the gloss off it. However, three more points, some good football played, and another home game on Saturday to build on the victory.

The Man-of-the match award had several contenders. Obviously Louis Irwin for his hat-trick was a strong possibility but this time it’s LEO HAYWARD who gets the nod. Leo ran the Sturminster defence ragged, especially in the first half, and with a bit of luck, he could have had several goals to add to the one he scored.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10.L.Irwin, 11.D.Forshaw, 12. J.Plain 14. M.Phillips 15.Henry Lawrence-Napier 16. Josh Payne.

Saturday 27th August 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 1  DORCHESTER SPORTS 3

After a crushing win in midweek this was another disappointing episode in Westlands topsy-turvy season as we slumped to another home defeat, our second in three home matches this season. This time the visitors were newly promoted Dorchester Sports who had made a decent start to the season winning two of their three opening games. There were two changes to the Westlands line-up from Tuesday night with Will Ireland replacing Jamie Plain in midfield and Leo Hayward returning to lead the attack in place of Josh Payne who was working.

The match couldn’t have got off to a worse start for the home team with a goal conceded in the 2nd minute. An inswinging corner curled in towards the far post where two Westlands defenders got in a tangle. Sam Plumley appeared to head the ball against back of Steve Flynn’s head and it flew up into the roof of the net for an OG. Not a great bit of defending by Westlands and manager Harry Gibbs was livid on the touchline. Westlands were a bit shell-shocked by the loss of the opening goal and were all at sea in the 11th minute when a Dorchester player headed just over the bar after a good run and cross by their winger. Eventually Westlands pulled themselves together and in the 20th minute Sam Plumley made a great run down the right and his low cross just evaded the onrushing Louis Irwin. Sam Plumley was overlapping to great effect down the right and another couple of good crosses were put into the visitor’s box with no takers. In the 40th minute, as Westlands continued to press, Leo Hayward thumped in a free kick but the Dorchester keeper made a comfortable save. A couple of minutes later the keeper fumbled a Leo Hayward cross giving Dwayne Forshaw a chance but his shot was blocked for a corner. From the kick Scott Smith got up highest but his header flew wide of the goal.

That was the last action of the half and although Westlands were not playing that well we were dominating the game so there was still a possibility of turning this match around.

Boyed by the manager’s half-time encouragement Westlands pressed hard as the second half began. Dwayne Forshaw tried an ambitious shot from 25 yards which the keeper saved easily and Leo Hayward had a shot, again saved by the keeper. In the 52nd minute Scott Smith again got his head to a corner but again missed the target, this time over the top. A minute later a Dorchester defender made a blunder allowing Dwayne Forshaw to shoot but his effort was blocked on the line. Westlands just couldn’t get the equaliser so on 56 minutes the first substitution was made with Jamie Plain coming on in place of Will Ireland. A minute later a big scare for the Westlands supporters when we nearly scored another own goal ! A free kick to Dorchester was fired in and a Westlands defender’s glancing header crashed off the crossbar and was cleared to safety. Soon Westlands were back on the attack and from another free kick Leo Hayward’s shot flew past the post. In the 70th minute came Westland’s closest effort yet. Leo Hayward raced through the Dorchester defence, and as the keeper came out, drilled the ball past him only to see it come off the inside of the far post and be scrambled away. It just looked as if it wasn’t going to be Westland’s day and in the 75th minute the manager made a bold move taking off defender Matt Watson and replacing him with midfielder Henry Lawrence-Napier. It looked like the plan was to go three at the back but a few gaps now started to appear in the Westlands rearguard and when a Dorchester player burst clean through in the 81st minute the writing looked to be on the wall. However, his lob over advancing Westlands keeper Sam Watts just scraped past the post so we breathed again. Not for long, though, as in the 83rd minute a Dorchester forward received the ball in a suspiciously offside position and he ran through to score to give his team an invaluable two goal lead. The Westlands players and management were incensed by the lack of a linesman’s flag and the referee, who had surprisingly allowed players to confront him all afternoon, ran out of patience and brandished a yellow card at Scott Smith. Westlands had lost their composure a bit now and in the 86th minute were caught outnumbered when a Dorchester player ran through and squared the ball for his team-mate to have a tap in. At 3-0 the game was lost but Westlands kept trying and in the 88th minute another attack ended with a free-kick, as most had in the second half. Leo Hayward again put a shot on target but the keeper punched the ball clear. As the game moved into injury time another Westlands attack ended in a free-kick but this time DWAYNE FORSHAW took it and he curled a lovely shot round the wall into the back of the net. A good goal but merely a consolation and the final whistle ended what had been a frustrating afternoon for Westlands.

The Man-of-the match award this week goes to Sam Plumley for his attacking prowess down the right wing, especially in the first half when he put over several inviting crosses.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10.L.Irwin, 11.D.Forshaw, 12. J.Plain 14. M.Phillips 15.Henry Lawrence-Napier.

23rd August 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS 6  MERE TOWN  0

Our second home game of the season was one we desperately wanted to win for three good reasons.

One, we had lost in our first home game last week and wanted to give the home supporters something to cheer, secondly, a glance in the archive shows that since we returned to the DPL two seasons ago we had met Mere four times and not won any, recording one draw and three losses so a win was overdue. The third reason is we just want to win games !

We made a couple of changes to keep things fresh with Josh Payne and Jamie Plain starting this one in place of Leo Hayward and Will Ireland with Henry Lawrence-Napier returning to the bench.

Westlands launched the first big attack by forcing a corner after 5 minutes. Scott Smith got his head to it but the ball was headed off the line by a defender. The clearance fell to Jamie Plain who blasted it goalwards but the ball was cleared by an outstretched foot. In the 10th minute a dodgy moment came when Sports keeper Sam Watts changed his mind when halfway through a throw out and dropped the ball at an attacker’s feet. Luckily Sam was able to block the attempted shot and we cleared the danger. It was fairly even at this point but Westlands looked the more likely side and in the 25th minute we took the lead with a stunning goal. Three or four quick passes around the edge of the box opened up the Mere defence to let JOSH PAYNE run through on the left side of the box, open up his body, and sidefoot the ball into the far corner. The visitors were still at sixes and sevens two minutes later when Westlands stung them again with the second goal. Again it was a lovely move with the final pass from Dwayne Forshaw sending JOSH PAYNE in behind the Mere defence and he rounded the keeper before stroking the ball into the empty net. Sports were rampant now and in the 30th minute Jamie Irwin was put clear but this time the keeper managed to block his shot. In the 36th minute Dwayne Forshaw had a shot saved as Westlands continued to press. A couple of minutes later Mere had a chance when their diminutive #8 was left unmarked at a free kick but luckily he headed over the top. Back down at the other end a good run and low cross from Louis Irwin was met by Josh Payne but his shot flew just past the far post. Louis Irwin had the next chance himself but he shot over the top. With the half time whistle imminent we made it 3-0 with another good goal. This time a good passing move saw PHIL WELLS on the overlap and he burst into the box and drilled a low shot into the far corner with his trusty left foot. Sam Watts then had to make a good save as Mere tried to get one back in the dying seconds of the half.

An excellent half from Westlands with three goals of outstanding quality so a real pleasure to watch. Could the second half match the first, probably not, but we just needed to be sensible now and the points were in the bag.

After five minutes of the second period Mere conceded again when their centre half controlled a pass on the edge of his own box then trod on the ball and fell over, allowing DWAYNE FORSHAW to rob him and thump the ball past the keeper into the net to make it 4-0. In 55 minutes Louis Irwin had a sight at goal but shot over the top. Sports had the game under control and two subs, Henry Lawrence-Napier and Leo Hayward were brought on for Jamie Plain and Josh Payne. The game was drifting to a conclusion now but with twenty minutes still to go, there was time for Westlands to bag another couple of goals. In the 71st minute a Henry Lawrence-Napier thunderbolt hit the post and LOUIS IRWIN was on the spot to slot home the rebound. Jamie Irwin was then replaced by defender Matt Phillips with Sam Plumley pushing forward into a more advanced role. But it was Mere who had the next chance, their player shooting over the bar when well placed after a free kick into the box. In the 74th minute the ball seemed to be pinging around the Mere penalty area with a couple of attempts being blocked before the ball fell to SAM PLUMLEY out on the right and he thumped a shot into the far corner. Obviously at 6-0 the points were in the bag but Westlands wanted their first clean sheet of the season and so for the last 10 minutes or so it was Mere pushing forward looking for a consolation and Westlands happy to play out time.

The final whistle ended a good evening for Westlands and a word of praise for the referee Mr. Sers who kept things under control without the use of any yellow or red cards, a rare occurrence these days !

The Man-of-the match award goes to Steve Flynn for typically hard-working performance in Sports mid-field. He was the oil in the engine, winning the ball and moving it on quickly to start off many of our attacks.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.J.Plain, 9.J.Payne, 10.L.Irwin, 11.D.Forshaw, 12. M.Phillips 14. L.Hayward 15.Henry Lawrence-Napier 16. W.Ireland.

Saturday 20th August 2016, Dorset Premier League

SWANAGE TOWN  1   WESTLAND SPORTS  3

Westlands were smarting from a midweek defeat and the manager made three changes for the trip to Swanage. Sam Watts, Matt Watson and Louis Irwin replaced Luke Silcox, Sam Gibbs and Henry Lawrence-Napier as Sports looked to get back to winning ways. The weather was sunny but there was a stiff breeze blowing in from the sea and the pitch looked good so we were all set for a tough match as the Swans had opened their league programme with an impressive 6-0 win in midweek..

The first chance fell to the home team when Sam Plumley fluffed a pass back and let their forward in. Sam Watts saved his bacon by diving to push the shot round the post for a corner which came to nothing. The first chance to come Westlands way was in the 10th minute and we made no mistake to go one-nil up. Will Ireland lobbed a pass over the static home defence for LEO HAYWARD to run on to and as the keeper dashed out to the edge of the box Leo prodded the ball past him and it rolled into the back of the net with a defender desperately trying to chase it.

A fine start for Sports and we were looking good now with the Swanage defence struggling to cope with our fast raids. In the 18th minute we made it 2-0 when JAMIE IRWIN raced onto a through ball from brother Louis and calmly slotted it past the advancing keeper. What a start for Westlands and with a bit of composure in front of goal we could have put the game to bed before half-time. In the 23rd minute Steve Flynn hit a fierce shot from 20 yards which whizzed just over the bar and a few minutes later Leo Hayward hit a free kick on target but the keeper saved. Just after the half hour mark Will Ireland scooped a shot wide and this was followed by a great move from Westlands which ripped through the opposition defence but unfortunately Louis Irwin put the final shot over the top. That move deserved a goal and so did the one in the 38th minute when once again we opened up the Swanage defence but Leo Hayward miscued in front of goal with only the keeper to beat. Just before the break the home team had only their second chance of the half with a strong header that went just wide.

It had been an excellent first half for Westlands when we had the opposition defence all at sea but the nagging doubt was that we hadn’t finished them off and they would undoubtedly improve after the break.

As the second half settled Swanage seemed to push men into the midfield and they were having most of the possession. After 10 minutes of the half they got the goal they needed when a high lobbed cross seemed to catch the Westlands defenders and keeper out and a Swanage player stole in at the far post to head in.

Swanage were now dominating but it was noticeable that Sports were coping fairly well with the pressure, keeping a good shape and making it difficult for the opposition to create goalscoring chances. They had two or three efforts which flew wide of the target and Sam Watts plucked a couple of crosses out the air but time was moving on and we began to feel reasonably comfortable. In the 73rd minute a piece of quick thinking gave Westlands the crucial third goal. Leo Hayward took a quick throw out on the right wing and delivered the ball to the unmarked LOUIS IRWIN. He turned, evaded a defender and cut in heading for goal. As the keeper came out Louis tried to slip the ball past him but the ball seemed to hit the post then the keeper got a hand to it knocking it up in the air where Louis completed the job by heading into the net. A bit of a scrambled effort but it was an important goal giving us our two goal cushion again and really it ended the home teams fight back. A couple of minutes later Swanage effectively ended any chance they had by having a man sent off for violent conduct. For the last 10 minutes or so it was just a matter of playing out time for Westlands but the home team were flying into some physical challenges now so we were glad to hear the final whistle blown.

It had been a similar scenario to the previous saturday’s match against Balti with Westlands taking a 2-0 half time lead, conceding a goal after the break, then withstanding some pressure before grabbing the third goal to clinch the game. We should really have sewn up the match in the first half but still it was an excellent performance against a good side and all the players and management deserve credit for a good win.

The Man-of-the-match once again could have been almost anyone following a fine team performance but I’ve picked out Sam Watts and Matt Watson for special mention. Both lads were making their first start of the season and put in impressive performances, but the award this week goes to Matt Watson for a solid game at the heart of the defence. Matt has had to be patient this season and wait for his chance and he staked his claim with some good defending and also good distribution.

Westlands line-up: 1.S.Watts, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.M.Watson, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10.L.Irwin, 11.D.Forshaw, 12. M.Phillips 14. J.Plain 15.J.Payne.

Tuesday 16th August 2016, Dorset Premier League

WESTLAND SPORTS  1  GILLINGHAM TOWN RES 3

Another blistering hot day and only three days after 90 minutes on an equally hot day at Weymouth so it was slightly surprising to see manager Harry Gibbs name an unchanged side. However, after their good win on saturday I guess it was only natural to name an unchanged team.

Fatigue certainly didn't seem to be an issue as both teams set off at a hectic pace with nobody having any time on the ball. The hard ground was also making the first touch difficult and subsequently neither team could string some passes together. A couple of early corners for Westlands caused the visitors some discomfort but goalscoring chances were few and far between. That was until the 15th minute when Gillingham took the lead. A free kick fairly central and about 20 yards out was hammered in by the Gillingham centre half. The ball seemed to fly through the wall and the goalkeeper and finished in the back of the net ! Westlands responded with another couple of corners that were scrambled away and then a Gillingham player missed an absolute sitter when the ball was squared to him right in front of an open goal and he missed the target completely ! Westlands had another corner in the 40th minute and Scott Smith got a good header on target but the keeper saved. Then, well into first half injury time Westlands were dealt another hammer blow when Gillingham scored again direct from another free kick. This time the kick was out on the right hand side of the penalty area and the ball was again despatched with power by the Gillingham centre half through a host of defenders and the goalkeeper into the far corner of the net.

That really was a blow for Westlands who went in at half-time 2-0 down and to two free kicks ! Yes, they were well taken but there has to be some doubt about the defensive set up as both shots seemed to go straight through.

Two substitutions were made at half time with Louis Irwin and Jamie Plain coming on for Henry Lawrence-Napier and Will Ireland and the fresh legs (and no doubt some words of encouragement from the management)  seemed to give the team a lift and we began to get on top. Unfortunately the opposition were in a good position now and were happy to defend in numbers and try to break up play and run the clock down. On the hour mark Josh Payne replaced Leo Hayward in an effort to change things. The referee was allowing play to flow when the Westlands players thought action should have been taken and it was noticeable some frustration was creeping in. Sam Gibbs received a yellow for protesting and this was compounded by another yellow ten minutes later when he tripped an opposing forward. Now down to ten men the task for Westlands looked hopeless but, to their credit, they managed to pick up the pace kept pushing forward. This paid dividends in the 70th minute when we pulled a goal back. JOSH PAYNE made a run down the right, cut inside, and fired over what looked like a low cross but thanks to a deflection from a defender, the ball ended up in the corner of the net. Westlands were trying hard for an equaliser now and Scott Smith got up to win a header from a corner but his effort cleared the bar. Just as it looked as if the ten men might pull off a draw the visitors finished the game effectively with their third goal when their forward thumped the ball into the net from about 10 yards. That was the killer blow although the Gillingham keeper had to pull off a diving save from Josh Payne who thumped in a shot from point blank range. But it wasn't going to happen now for Westlands and the game ended with Gillingham pressing and Sports beginning to look a bit tired.

The Man-of-the-match award was a bit tricky as nobody really shone on a bad night for Westlands, however, the award goes to Steve Flynn who worked hard all night and did some effective work in the midfield..

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Silcox, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.S.Gibbs, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10.Henry Lawrence-Napier, 11.D.Forshaw, 12.L.Irwin 14. J.Plain 15.J.Payne

Saturday 13th August 2016, Dorset Premier League

BALTI SPORTS  1   WESTLAND SPORTS  5

The first game of the season couldn’t have gone better for Sports as they scored five goals and got three early points in the bag away to Balti Sports at Weymouth College. New manager Harry Gibbs has re-shaped the side from last season and the lads looked like they meant business as they warmed up in the sun before the game. Balti Sports were the favourites and had been tipped to be among the front runners this season but the Westland players were at it from the start, hustling the home team out of their stride and attacking with pace. Although we were on top in the early stages it was about 20 minutes in when we created the first real chance. A shot from Henry Lawrence-Napier was spilled by the Balti keeper and the ball was cleared by one of his defenders. A bit of nervousness evident there in the Balti defence and Westlands were soon putting the pressure on again. Leo Hayward attacked down the right and whipped a low ball across the face of the goal but unfortunately no one could get on the end of it. Henry Lawrence-Napier then had another shot at goal which was half-blocked by a defender and the keeper gathered. In the 36th minute Westlands made the breakthrough and it came from the penalty spot. Will Ireland was upended in the box and LEO HAYWARD stroked in the spot kick, sending the keeper the wrong way. Balti were shell-shocked and Westlands quickly turned the screw by making it 2-0 four minutes later. Sam Gibbs started the move with a good ball out of defence which picked out Leo Hayward. Leo swivelled and put a great ball down the left wing for DWAYNE FORSHAW to run on to. Dwayne cut inside a defender and as the keeper and another defender closed in he struck a nice shot into the corner of the net.

Westlands smelt blood now and the last minutes of the half saw some sustained pressure. A free kick into the Balti box caused havoc and was eventually hacked away for a corner. The kick was fired over, the keeper came and missed it, somebody had a shot at goal which was blocked on the line and eventually cleared to safety as the referee blew the half-time whistle.

Well, as we considered the half time result over our orange juice, the general opinion was that Westlands were good value for the two goal lead but a note of caution as Balti would surely come out fired up for the second half with nothing to lose.

The half opened with Dwayne Forshaw running through but having his shot deflected just past the far post. From the corner Jamie Irwin got a header on target that was blocked. In the next minute Jamie intercepted a poor pass out of defence and raced into the box. As the keeper came out Jamie sidestepped him but fired his shot past the post. As the 50th minute ticked by Balti began to push men forward and Westlands were forced onto the defensive. In 52 minutes Luke Silcox got a good fist to a corner but the ball fell to a Balti player and he shot wide of the target. On 59 minutes a Balti shot glanced the top of the bar on its way over and at this point Westlands were hanging on a bit but the shape and organisation was good and Balti were finding it very hard to create clear cut  opportunities. However, in the 65th minute they got the goal that had looked imminent. A long ball in behind caught the Westlands defence napping and the ball was crossed to the far post where their lad smashed it in. At 2-1 we needed to dig deep and with Scott Smith marshalling the defence and Luke Silcox in goal looking composed we weathered the storm. Our attack had caused the Balti defence big problems all afternoon with our pace and aggression and in the 76 minute we scored again to maintain our two goal lead. Steve Flynn won the ball on the edge of the box and squared it to LEO HAYWARD who drilled a shot past the keeper into the corner of the net. Great celebrations from the Westlands camp as we knew what an important goal that was and from that moment on we were in charge and didn’t look like letting it slip. Nevertheless, with a two goal cushion, the manager decided to shore things up bringing on defenders Matt Watson and Matt Phillips for Henry Lawrence-Napier and Leo Hayward who had both put in an exhausting shift for the team.  In the 86th minute we made it 4-1 with another clinical strike. Jamie Irwin put over a lovely corner and SCOTT SMITH rose unchallenged to power a header past the Balti keeper. Will Ireland was then replaced by new signing Jamie Plain to give us some fresh legs and he immediately showed his class with a raking diagonal pass out to Jamie Irwin. Balti had thrown in the towel now and in the 90th minute DWAYNE FORSHAW ran through the static home defence and curled a shot into the far corner to make the score 5-1 !!

An excellent result for Westlands and manager Harry Gibbs was delighted to get off the mark in his first league match in charge and was particularly pleased with the effort and commitment of the team. A long season ahead and probably some disappointments to come but this was a day to enjoy for everyone involved.

The Man-of-the-match award could have been anyone following a great team performance but we’ve given the award to Scott Smith who was a rock at the back when Balti pressed us in the second half. Add to that the late goal to complete an excellent performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Silcox, 2.S.Plumley, 3.P.Wells, 4.S.Gibbs, 5.Scott Smith, 6.S.Flynn, 7.J.Irwin, 8.W.Ireland, 9.L.Hayward, 10.Henry Lawrence-Napier, 11.D.Forshaw, 12.M.Watson 14. J.Plain 15.M.Phillips

RESERVE TEAM

Saturday 6th May 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  1  POOLE BOROUGH  3

We were hoping to finish the season on a high note with a victory over Poole Borough. There were no excuses, the weather was lovely, the pitch was looking good and we had 14 players to choose from. Mind you, the 14 didn’t include a goalkeeper or a recognised centre-forward so we had to shuffle the pack a bit. Jamie Burt ‘volunteered’ to go between the sticks and Henry Lawrence-Napier was pushed up front. It was all fairly low key for a while but Westlands were having a bit more of the possession. Karl Davis made a good run down the left wing and put over a lovely ball that just eluded the onrushing Henry Lawrence-Napier. Then Sports had a free kick in a decent position but Liam Stobbs put his shot into the wall. In the 24th minute Poole responded with a good shot that flew past the post following a corner. A minute later Henry Lawrence-Napier beat 2 defenders and pulled the ball back to Chris Wells who had only the keeper to beat but missed the target with his shot. Then a good passing move put Liam Stobbs free but his attempted lob missed the target. Just before the break Brandon Scott put a good ball into Chris Wells who was in a good position but he scuffed his shot wide of the goal. Half-time 0-0.

The first half had been mostly Westlands on top but the chances created had been squandered so we hoped these misses would not come back to haunt us in the second period.

Ryan McGuinn replaced Jamie Burt in goal for the second half with Jamie going up front. He immediately made his presence felt with a strong run and shot that forced a save from the Borough keeper. A few minutes later it was Jamie Burt again who threatened with a charging run into the danger zone. He beat 2 defenders and cut the ball back to Liam Stobbs who fluffed his attempt at goal. In the 57th minute we at last took the lead. A free kick into the box was headed back across to LEWIS HOWCHIN who volleyed the ball into the roof of the net. A good goal, well taken, and surely that would give Westlands the lift to go on and win the game. Unfortunately the opposite came to pass. One or two Sports players thought the game was over and the work rate dropped with disastrous consequences. In the 63rd minute Borough equalised with the most scrappy of goals. The ball into the box looked fairly harmless but several failed attempts to clear saw the ball eventually prodded goalwards and it rolled into the back of the net. Three minutes later we were 2-1 down when a defensive blunder gave possession to a Poole forward with only the keeper to beat. Another 4 minutes and we’re 3-1 down. A free kick into our goalmouth was eventually scrambled into the net after about the third attempt. We were in disarray now and our opponents were cock-a-hoop. Several substitutions and changes were tried but there was no way back into this game now, we had completely lost all direction and shape.

A disappointing end to the season for the reserves as Poole Borough have been struggling this season and we had already drawn with them in the away match at Turlin Moor. However if you don’t put in the effort to get behind the ball you are going to struggle against any side in the senior league as was proved in this match.

Nevertheless we have managed to creep away from the relegation places so it’s been a good second half to the season.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to JAMIE BURT, our regular centre-half. This week Jamie played the first half in goal and kept a clean sheet ! In the second half he played at centre forward and caused the Borough defence quite a few problems so a great performance for the team from Jamie.

Westlands line-up: 1.J.Burt  2.B.Scott  3.K.Davis 4.T.Budden 5.Stu Smith 6.R.McGuinn 7.L.Stobbs  8.C.Wells 9.H.Lawrence-Napier 10. N.Carney 11. L.Howchin  12.M.Rowswell 14.S.Gibbs15.M.Lightfoot

Tuesday 25th April 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  1  MILBORNE PORT  3

A bitterly cold night for the visit of our near(ish) neighbours from along the A30. Nevertheless a decent turnout to watch the match and nice to have a visit from ex-Westlands favourite "Dobbo" to Alvington.

The opening quarter of an hour was fairly even but the visitors took the lead in the 16th minute. A free kick played in to the edge of the box was headed towards goal and as keeper Louis Martin came out to collect a Milborne player nipped in and prodded the ball into the net. A bit sloppy defensively there, virtually a free header and everyone a bit flatfooted when it was headed on. Westlands then conceded a second goal straight away. The ball fell to a Milborne player about 20 yards out and he had a swing at it first time sending a dipping shot into the top corner. An opportunist strike from nothing really and it left Sports with a mountain to climb. However in general play Westlands were matching their opponents and in the 23rd minute a header from Henry Lawrence-Napier bounced off the top of the bar. We pulled a goal back in the 44th minute when Nat Carney had a shot that the keeper partially saved, sending the ball looping up into the air and that man HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER was on hand to turn it into the net. Just what we needed really, to get back in the game just before the break, but I think the referee's watch had stopped as the game was in the 52nd minute according to my watch when Stu Smith conceded a free kick on the edge of our box. The wall was lined up but failed to stop the ball which was smashed off the far post into the net.

What a disaster, we thought we were going into half-time only one behind but now found ourselves two down.

Westlands came out in the second half with Ryan McGuinn coming on to take up a central midfield role. Sports quickly seized the initiative and began to knock the ball around with Ryan at the hub of most moves. It was good stuff to watch but we were finding the opposition defending in numbers and as they had two or three big defenders high crosses weren't effective. But the constant pressure by Westlands began to create chances and a pass from Liam Stobbs put Henry in the clear and he tried to lob the keeper but miscued and missed the target. Then Henry made a tremendous leap to get his head to a corner and the ball looked goalbound until the Milborne keeper emerged from the crowd clutching the ball. What a save that was and the next chance came to Josh Payne who rose like a salmon to power a header past the keeper but it cannoned off the bar and was cleared. Several more chances were created but it was one of these nights when we just weren't going to score.

So the game ended 3-1 to Milborne who, unlike Westlands, had taken their chances when they came and were happy to sit back and try to defend their lead in the second half. Sports dominated that second period and played some lovely passing football so they can be happy with their performance, it just wasn't our night.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to NAT CARNEY who is beginning to find his form again now he is having a run of games. As usual an energetic performance from Nat plus an assist for the Westlands goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.L.Howchin 3.T.Budden 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8.H.Lawrence-Napier 9.J.Payne 10.N.Carney 11.T.Flynn 12.M.Lightfoot 14.S.Plumley 15.R.McGuinn

22nd April 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  4  BOSCOMBE POLONIA 0

The Reserves maintained their recent good form with a crushing  win over the bottom side. LIAM STOBBS eased Sports ahead 1-0 at the break and when MATT LIGHTFOOT scored early in the second half our opponents heads went down a bit. LIAM STOBB (2) completed his hat-trick  in what was a fairly comfortable win for Westlands in the end. The match ended with a 10 minute cameo appearance by manager Craig Stobbs for the first time this season. A couple of chances came his way that he would probably have buried 20 years ago but the touch wasn't quite there !

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to LIAM STOBBS who has been amongst the goals in recent matches and had a good hat-trick one of which was a nice free kick curled into the far corner.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.T.Budden 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.S.Gibbs 7.L.Stobbs 8.C.Wells 9.R.McGuinn 10.N.Carney 11.L.Howchin 12.M.Lightfoot 14.C.Stobbs

Wednesday 19th April 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  3  WINCANTON TOWN RESERVES  1

Our recent results have been good apart from a loss to Wincanton last Wednesday so we were looking to avenge that on home ground. With players again missing due to midweek unavailability five changes were required from Saturday but we had a strong side out on a nice evening at Alvington.

Westlands were first to have an attempt in the 2nd minute when a Liam Stobbs cross was headed just over by Henry Lawrence-Napier although I think the keeper probably had that one covered. In the 6th minute a snap shot from Josh Payne flew over the bar as Sports continued to press. Then Josh got his head to a Liam Stobbs corner but this time the keeper saved. After about 20 minutes it was noticeable the visitors were beginning to press forward and create some chances. Connor Coates in Westlands goal had to clutch a header from a wincanton forward and a few minutes later a header from a free kick was straight into Connor's hands. Just as the visitor's were having a bit of success, they went 1-0 down ! Westlands put together a lovely move down the right wing with the ball quickly transferred from Brandon Scott to Josh Payne and on to Henry Lawrence-Napier who hit the byeline before cutting the ball back to LIAM STOBBS who side footed into the corner. An excellent team goal from Westlands and a deserved lead. Just after this, in the 32nd minute, a thumping shot from a Wincanton player was turned over the top by Connor Coates to preserve Sports lead. Then Westlands had a couple of close calls in the 35th and 36th minutes and both were really the result of sloppy defending. First a poor clearance went straight to an opposition player just outside the box and his thumping shot cannoned off the bar and bounced to safety. Then another bit of disarray in Sports defence gave a Wincanton forward a clear sight at goal but he put his shot wide of the target. Once again, just as the visitor's were having a good spell, we scored to make it 2-0. Brandon Scott made some good ground down the right and passed the ball inside to Josh Payne who picked out the run of HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER with a neat pass between two defenders. Henry took a touch and drove the ball into the corner giving the Wincanton keeper no chance.

A nice two goal lead for Sports at half time was just the job but the opposition had shown they could be dangerous so we would need to concentrate in the second half. Nat Carney came off with a knock at half time and was replaced by Leo Hayward.

Westlands forced a corner in the 50th minute and Tom Budden climbed highest at the far post but just couldn't direct his header on target. A couple of minutes later a ball over the top put Leo Hayward clean through but he shot straight at the keeper. In the 56th minute Westlands went 3-0 ahead. JOSH PAYNE sprinted clear of the Wincanton defence and, as the keeper came out, trundled a shot past him that crept in off the far post. That was surely the crucial goal that we needed to secure the three points. However, with 30 minutes still to go we had to be wary and we were given a wake up call in the 62nd minute when another Wincanton piledriver crashed off the bar and was cleared. Westlands were just defending their own half now and this tactic proved pretty successful until the 87th minute. A perfect pass dissected the Westlands defence and a Wincanton player ran through and finished neatly into the corner. A nice goal but no more than a consolation really, and the referee's final whistle signalled another victory to Westlands in their 'great escape'.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER who put in another energetic performance topped by a goal and an assist.

Westlands line-up: 1.C.Coates 2.B.Scott 3.T.Budden 4.M.Watson 5.Stu Smith 6.S.Gibbs 7.L.Stobbs 8.Henry Lawrence-Napier 9.J.Payne 10.N.Carney 11.R.McGuinn 12.L.Hayward14.J.Budden

 

Saturday 15th April 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  2  ALLENDALE 1

We have been on a good run of late but the midweek defeat was a disappointment so we were looking to bounce back. Stu Smith, Tom Budden,Chris Wells, Nat Carney, Lewis Howchin and Max Rowsell all returned to the team in a much changed line up. The problem was a goalkeeper as Louis Martin was on first team duty at Gillingham but, come the moment, cometh the man, and Jake Powell generously volunteered (cough!) to don the gloves.

Allendale are a decent side who have beaten us twice already this season but they were a bit fortunate to take a first half lead when the ball fell kindly for their forward to head in from close range. A highlight of the half was a Jake Powell save when he dived on the ball at the second attempt but apart from that he didn't have a lot to do.

Although 1-0 down at the break, Westlands had given a good account of themselves and could approach the second half with some confidence.

Around the hour mark Sports put together a lovely move with several one touch passes opening up the visitor's defence to give LIAM STOBBS the final sidefoot finish. Westlands smelt blood now and the winning goal when it came was a classic. SAM GIBBS curled in a free kick and it eluded everyone and finished in the top corner of the net. Now we were in front Allendale were struggling to break down a solid Sports backline and the referee's final whistle signalled another fine win.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to BRANDON SCOTT who has been out for a long time with injury but  is now beginning to show the form that took him into the first team squad last season.

Westlands line-up: 1.J.Powell 2.B.Scott 3.T.Budden 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8.S.Gibbs  9.R.McGuinn 10.N.Carney 11.M.Rowswell 12.J.Morgan 14.L.Howchin

Wednesday 12th April 2017, Dorset Senior League

WINCANTON TOWN RESERVES 4  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  2

Nice evening in Moor Lane but a bit chilly and the pitch was very hard and bumpy which wouldn't help the passing and control. Both sides had strengthened their squads with the maximum three first team players so it looked like a good game was on the cards.

Westlands had 5 changes from Saturday and were taking a bit of time to settle into a good shape. In the 5th minute the Sports defence failed to clear a long ball which was flicked on to a Wincanton forward who was in the clear and he had an easy job of lobbing the ball over the keeper into the net to open the scoring. Not the start we wanted but Westlands kept plugging away and in the 10th minute forced a corner out on the left wing. Ryan McGuinn put over a good cross and HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER powered a header on the run into the net for the equaliser. Five minutes later Westlands should really have gone ahead when Sam Plumley scampered down the right wing and put an inviting low cross into the goalmouth. Macauley Mattravers got a boot to it but somehow managed to scoop the ball over the bar from about three yards out. We were made to pay for that miss four minutes later when Wincanton took the lead again. A ball into the Westlands box looked to be a fairly aimless cross until Brandon Scott, under no pressure, headed the ball past his own keeper for an own goal. Wincanton had some pacy forwards and they cut us open in the 27th minute to extend their lead. A nice one two put their forward in and as the Westlands keeper came out, he flicked the ball past him into the far corner. This was getting serious now, three goals conceded and less than half an hour played. But, thankfully, Sports rallied a bit and a great 60 yard run by Tom Flynn out of his own half gained us a corner but it came to nothing. We held our own until half time and turned round 3-1 down so a big task to turn this one round in the second half. The Westlands manager made one change at half time with Liam Stobbs coming on to replace Ryan McGuinn and give an added bit of pace up front.

This almost paid dividends only 2 minutes into the half when Macauley Mattravers head-flicked a long ball on to Liam but his finish was weak and straight at the keeper. A few minutes later a nice move from Westlands opened up the Wincanton defence but there was nobody on the end of the final ball into the box from Henry Lawrence-Napier. Just as we were beginning to get on top we conceded again in the 55th minute and a simple goal it was. A cross into the box, an unmarked forward and all the time in the world to head the ball back across the keeper into the far corner to make it 4-1. Disappointing but Sports kept plugging away and in the 78th minute pulled one back when JAMIE BURT got his head to a corner and forced the ball in off a defender. Back to 4-2 and with still 12 minutes to play, perhaps it wasn't too late for Westlands to pull something out the bag. We thought we were right back in it in the 83rd minute when a ball into the box saw Henry Lawrence -Napier and a defender go to ground. The referee pointed to the spot straight away, penalty to Westlands. As is the usual practice, the Wincanton players protested about the decision and unbelievably, as Steve Flynn was placing the ball on the spot, the referee suddenly changed his mind and awarded a free kick to the home team !  That really was Westlands last chance to get something out the game although Macauley Mattravers did get through in the dying minutes but his lob over the keeper's head was just too high and ended up on the roof of the net.

On reflection, we didn't really do enough to get anything out of this game. We missed some decent chances whereas our opponents were clinical in front of goal. Add to that we conceded some soft goals so we just put that one down as a bad day and move on to the final six games of the season five of which are at home so hopefully we can bag some points from these.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to JAMIE BURT for a steady game at the back and a good goal as well.

Westlands line-up: 1.C.Coates 2.B.Scott 3.P.Wells 4.J.Burt 5.S.Gibbs 6.S.Flynn 7.S.Plumley 8.H.Lawrence-Napier 9.M.Mattravers 10.T.Flynn 11.R.McGuinn 12.L.Stobbs 14.B.Johnson

Saturday 8th April 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  3 CHICKERELL UTD 1

On a sunny day at Alvington Westlands were hoping to keep their recent good run going.There were three changes to the line up from our previous match, Karl Davis, Steve Flynn and Lewis Howchin were replaced by Jake Morgan, Tom Flynn and Macauley Mattravers. Nat Carney was back on the bench for Sports after a long break and he was joined by Matt Lightfoot.

Chickerell were a bit casual early on and were soon punished by a hard working Westlands team. The marauding MACAULEY MATTRAVERS pressed the Chickerell defence, won the ball and slotted it past the keeper to put Sports one up after about 7 minutes. A few minutes later Westlands were cock-a-hoop when LIAM STOBBS  headed in a good cross to make it 2-0. What a start by Sports but it shook the visitors out of their lethargy and they began to control the game, putting the home defence under pressure. However, with a handy 2 goal lead, Westlands were now happy to get men behind the ball and frustrate the opposition. Just before the break Chickerell scored with a deflected shot to make it a 2-1 scoreline at half-time.

The game was nicely poised now as the teams kicked off for the second half and the next goal was crucial. Thankfully it was Westlands who scored it when MACAULEY MATTRAVERS curled in a superb free kick and restored the two goal lead. Chickerell huffed and puffed but they couldn't break down a well organised defence superbly marshalled by the evergreen Stu Smith. The only sour note of the afternoon came with twelve minutes to go when Macauley Mattravers thought he had completed his hat-trick but was denied by the linesman's flag. He then gave the linesman some verbal abuse and was shown a red card. Not an ideal situation but the Westlands defence held firm to the end and we collected another valuable three points.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to STU SMITH who pulled the strings at the back for Westlands in what eventually became a determined rearguard action.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.J.Morgan 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8.S.Gibbs  9.M.Mattravers 10.T.Flynn 11.R.McGuinn 12.N.Carney 14.M.Lightfoot

Saturday 1st April 2017, Dorset Senior League

BOSCOMBE POLONIA  1  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  3

A 'six pointer' this one as we faced the team just above us in second bottom place. A win was a must and Sports looked to have a strong line up with last weeks "guests" Scott Smith, Sam Plumley, Henry Lawrence-Napier and Sam Watts replaced by Stu Smith, Sam Gibbs, Karl Davis and Steve Flynn. There was also a new signing, Tom Flynn, on the bench so we did look strong.

The first half was pretty tight with both teams having chances but unable to score. In the second half RYAN McGUINN put Sports in front with a nice finish but a rare defensive slip let the home side in to equalise. LIAM STOBBS then headed Sports in front from a perfect Brandon Scott cross and then Liam set up STEVE FLYNN for an easy side foot finish to put the game to bed.

A well deserved three points and a good team performance which we need to keep going now if we are to get off the bottom of the table.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to LIAM STOBBS who certainly perked up Sports attack in the second half.  A good goal and an assist put Westlands in the driving seat.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.K.Davis 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8.S.Gibbs  9.R.McGuinn 10.S.Flynn 11.L.Howchin 12.J.Morgan 14.T.Flynn

Saturday 25th Mar 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  1 CORFE MULLEN 1

Having drawn with our opponents 4 weeks ago this looked like a good opportunity to perhaps get our second win. We had a strong team out, and although Stu Smith, Sam Gibbs and Nick Wilton were missing we were able to add Scott Smith, Henry Lawrence-Napier, Sam Plumley and Sam Watts to the squad.

The sun was shining but there was a keen east wind blowing diagonally across the pitch which favoured Westlands slightly in the first half.

Westlands settled well and were soon pushing the opposition back into their own half so it was no great surprise when we took the lead in the 20th minute. RYAN McGUINN ran on to a through ball and slotted the ball past the advancing keeper into the corner of the net. Cool finish.

Corfe Mullen had some neat possession but at this stage hadn't created any real chances.On the half hour Henry Lawrence-Napier got his head to a corner but the Corfe keeper pulled off a good save. Then, in the 38th minute Corfe Mullen took a quick free kick just inside their own half. With the Westlands team totally asleep their lad sprinted down the right wing supported by 3 of his team mates. When the ball came over their centre forward was in the clear and his thumping shot was well saved by Louis Martin diving low to parry the shot. A Corfe player picked up the rebound and blasted in another shot which Louis dived again to block. Finally, as the ball again fell to an unmarked forward our keeper dived full length for a third time to keep the ball out. This time the ball went for a corner and Sports had time to regroup. An outstanding triple save from Louis Martin. It was almost like shooting practice as the Corfe Mullen forwards lined up to have a go. Some very poor concentration from the Westlands team at a free kick could well have been punished were it not for the heroics of our keeper. The resulting corner was cleared and we made it through to half time with our 1-0 lead intact.

We started quite strong in the second half and the first chance was created by Sam Watts who cut in onto his right foot and curled a shot towards the far top corner which the keeper did well to save. Then Max Rowswell had a strong run and shot which went just past the post, although in this case the pass across to a team mate may have been the better option. In the 65th minute Sam Watts managed to bundle the ball into the net from a corner but fouled an opponent while doing so. A couple of minutes later Ryan McGuinn ran on to a through ball and as the keeper came out he lobbed it over his head but unfortunately the ball just cleared the crossbar and finished on the roof of the net. The next chance fell to the visitors with a low driven shot whch looked to be heading for the far corner until Louis Martin dived full length to get a strong hand to it and turn it over the bar. Another marvellous save by our young keeper. In the 72nd minute Henry Lawrence-Napier set up Sam Watts but he blazed over the top from a good position. At this point, with about 15 minutes to go, Westlands began to look a bit tired and mistakes began to multiply. From a needless free kick Corfe Mullen were able to flood the box and Louis Martin had to tip a good header over the top. The resulting corner was just scrambled away. Westlands couldn't keep the ball now and the visitor's were getting on top. Finally, in the 86th minute we conceded the equalising goal. Another soft free kick given away again allowed the opposition to get all their big men in the box. The high ball into our area caused a bit of panic and with the keeper seemingly coming to collect, the ball was booted clear but hit Jamie Burt and rebounded to a Corfe Mullen player who stuck it away with great glee. Westlands were all over the place now and were in danger of losing the game. Another free kick conceded was driven over the bar much to our relief. Then, in the dying seconds, it was Westlands who had a great chance to nick the points. Ryan McGuinn was put clean through the middle and as the keeper came out he tried to sidefoot the ball past him but got it all wrong and ended up passing the ball into the keeper's hands. That was the last action of the match and the reactions at the end were significant. The Westlands players with heads in hands and the visitors celebrating. Our players new we could have won the match and with points so badly needed we need to be more 'streetwise' in managing the game. We were 1-0 up with 15 minutes to go and to keep things tight and hold on to what we had was surely the way to go. Why then were full backs bombing forward into the opposition half ? Why were midfielders hanging way out on the wings instead of tucking in and plugging gaps ? The answers to these questions are probably the reasons why we are where we are in the league table but we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that it was a point gained and now makes it two games undefeated.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to LOUIS MARTIN who gave a wonderful display of goalkeeping, pulling off some fantastic saves. He also launched some huge kicks deep into opposition territory which we didn't use to our advantage.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.S.Plumley 3.L.Howchin 4.J.Burt 5.Scott Smith 6.C.Wells 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8.S.Watts  9.M.Mattravers 10.S.Watts 11.R.McGuinn 12.L.Stobbs 14.B.Scott

Saturday 18th Mar 2017, Dorset Senior League

BLANDFORD UTD RESERVES  0  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  1

A nice day at Blandford, the pitch looked good, and with bottom playing second bottom a good game in prospect. Sports line up today looked to be more balanced and had a solid look to it. The main difference to recent weeks was the introduction of new signing Macauley Mattravers, a 20 year old from East Coker, and Ryan McGuinn, a youth team player who has been gaining some first team experience in recent weeks. Both are big lads so they gave us a bit of a presence up front that has been missing all season really.

Westlands gave a solid performance and thoroughly deserved their win. The crucial goal came midway through the first half. A corner for Sports was not properly cleared and JAMIE BURT was first to react and headed the ball into the net. Westlands could have increased their lead in the second half but Macauley Mattravers was unable to repeat his goalscoring feats in the junior league and missed a couple of chances. But with the team defending well with a good shape, Blandford were unable to find a way through and the final whistle was a welcome sound.

A great result as it marks our first win of the season and a clean sheet as well which must have been a magic moment for our keeper Louis Martin who has had a torrid time this season but has stuck to it week after week.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to CHRIS WELLS who had a blinder in the midfield. Does his job quietly and efficiently, giving protection to the back four, breaking up play, winning the ball and making the simple pass.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.T.Budden 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8.S.Gibbs  9.M.Mattravers 10.R.McGuinn 11.L.Howchin 12.W.Scott 14.D.McKenzie 15.C.Stobbs

Saturday 11th Mar 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  0  SHAFTESBURY RESERVES 4 

A repeat of the game played at Shaftesbury two weeks ago with the visitors proving too strong for a Westlands side who put up a good fight but just couldn't hurt the opposition. As last time, we held them to 1-0 at half time but unfortunately conceded three in the second half. Second half capitulations lead one to question the fitness of the team so it is probably a factor in our problems that we see very few of these reserve players at training. Nevertheless, we shouldn't be downhearted by this result as, looking at the league table, Shaftesbury could well win the league this year.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match award goes to TOM BUDDEN who had an excellent game for Sports and is surely a lad destined for the first team in the very near future.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.T.Budden 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.S.Gibbs 7.L.Stobbs 8. C.Wells 9.N.Wilton 10.M.Rowswell 11.K.Davis 14.D.McKenzie 15.M.Durrant

Saturday 25th Feb 2017, Dorset Senior League

SHAFTESBURY RESERVES 4  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  0

Another goal-less and pointless display from the reserves although they kept battling to the end against a stronger side. The score was a tight 1-0 at half time but we succumbed to the pressure in the second half and let in three more.

Man of the Match goes to JAMIE BURT who had a strong game at the back for Westlands,

Westlands line-up: 1.C.Coates 2.N.Wilton 3.J.Morgan 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.S.Gibbs 7.L.Stobbs 8. C.Wells 9.J.Tailby s 10.M.Rowswell 11.B.Scott 12.D.McKenzie 14.W.Scott 15.C.Stobbs

Saturday 18th Feb 2017, Dorset Senior League

CORFE MULLEN 3  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  3

Westlands put up a good show here and picked up a welcome point. With JOSH PAYNE available to play up front we had somebody to put the ball in the net and it was Josh who gave us a 1-0 half time lead with a nice finish. In the second half Corfe Mullen equalised from a set piece when a free kick wes knocked in. Back came Westlands and Josh Payne made a good run into the box and squared the ball to MAX ROWSWELL who stuck it away. Back in front again, could Westlands keep their lead ? Another free kick into the box answered the question as Corfe once again tied the score up at 2-2. JOSH PAYNE was proving a thorn in the opposition's flesh and another good penetrating run saw him brought down in the box. Josh took the kick himself and tucked it away to end a run of 4 consecutive penalty misses this season for the reserves. 3-2 to Sports, was a win at last on the cards ? Once again the answer was no and once again we failed to defend a free kick into the box.

So the final result was 3-3 and it was another case of what might have been for Westlands. Nevertheless, a point is valuable to us at the moment and hopefully it will kickstart a run of victories.

Man of the Match goes to JOSH PAYNE who at last gave Sports a bit of a threat up front, something that has been lacking all season. Two goals as well adds up to an award winning performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.N.Wilton 3.J.Hewitt 4.T.Budden 5.J.Burt 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8. Stu Smith 9.J.Payne s 10.M.Rowswell 11.B.Scott 12.Lewis Howchin 14.J.Rowswell 15.J.Powell

Saturday 11th Feb 2017, Dorset Senior League

DORCHESTER SPORTS RESERVES 7  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  1

Another disaster day for the reserves as they slumped to a heavy defeat. They were level 1-1 at half time thanks to a MAX ROWSWELL goal but when they went behind on the hour mark the floodgates opened. Afraid a few players threw in the towel which is not what is needed in the current situation.

Man of the match goes to JACOB HEWITT.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.M.Lightfoot 3.J.Hewitt 4.Stu Smith 5.J.Burt 6.W.Gullin 7.L.Stobbs 8. S.Gibbs 9.N.Wilton 10.C.Wells 11.M.Rowswell 12.B.Scott 14.D.MacKenzie 15.J.Morgan

Saturday 28th Jan 2017, Dorset Senior League

CHICKERELL UTD  4  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  2

After a couple of days of rain the pitch was wet and soggy but in good condition with a good covering of grass. There is a big slope on the Chickerell pitch, reminiscent of Chard (or Ash for those of you with longer memories !). The team line up was much the same as recent weeks but Josh Payne had a day off work so was a welcome addition and a late call-off saw Henry Lawrence-Napier drafted in after the first team game was cancelled. Unfortunately we lost the toss and had to shoot downhill in the first half which can be a problem as you have to defend the slope when you are tired in the second half.

After 6 minutes the home team scored the opening goal in virtually their first attack. We were a bit slack to go with runners as they pushed men forward. A shot was fired in, Louis Martin saved, but a Chickerell player was on the spot to stick the rebound into the net to make it 1-0. Westland responded well and began to mount some good attacks. In the 12th minute Josh Payne cut in from the left and was brought down by a blatant trip. Everyone in the ground seemed to see it except the referee who waved play on. Five minutes later, a Max Rowswell pass put Henry Lawrence –Napier clean through but as he raced in towards goal he was grabbed by the arm from behind and pulled to the ground. There was no doubt about this one, a clear foul, but was it in the box, and would it be a red card ? It was neither as the official again waved play on, saying he hadn’t seen the incident ! Then in the 25th minute Henry was again brought down in the box as he cut in from the right and this time we were awarded the penalty !  Unfortunately Westlands have missed all three penalties awarded to them this season so it was more in hope than confidence that we awaited the outcome of this one. Stu Smith stepped up and sidefooted the ball low towards the left corner but alas the keeper had guessed correctly and made the save. And so we preserved our 100% record from the spot this season ! After half an hour we were made to pay when we conceded the second goal. The ball was given away carelessly deep in our own half leaving us outnumbered at the back and it was an easy finish for their attacker. What a blow, but Sports kept plugging away and a good ball over the top by Henry Lawrence-Napier put Josh Payne clear and as the keeper advanced Josh slid the ball past him and past the far post ! Finally, in the 45th minute we got the goal we deserved when a low cross delivered from the right was turned in by SAM GIBBS from close range.

That goal made all the difference for the second half as we were now right back in the game at 2-1.

The first action saw us concede a free kick out on the left. The ball was swung into the box where a Chickerell defender got a free header but Louis Martin somehow saved the header low down from point blank range. That was a great save that kept us in the game and  within a couple of minutes we equalised. Liam Stobbs crossed from the right, Josh Payne took a swing at it but didn’t connect properly and the ball fell to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER who smashed it high into the net. 2-2 and a glimmer of hope on the horizon as we were having a good spell and causing them a few problems. However, another free kick conceded in our own half gave their player another free header, this time he put it wide. We continued to compete well but as the game moved into the last 30 minutes we were defending deeper and deeper down the hill and in the 63rd minute we went behind again. A shot from the edge of the box went through a crowd of players, hit the post, and rebounded straight to a Chickerell player who thumped it in. At 3-2 down it was getting difficult for the lads but Josh Payne was keeping the home defence busy with his runs. With 8 minutes to go Jamie Burt met a Liam Stobbs corner with his head but couldn’t get his effort on target and that was perhaps the last good chance we had. With 92 minutes on the clock Stu Smith went to close down an attacker out on the bye line but he slipped over in the mud and left their player free to cut in and pass the ball across the face of goal where a team mate turned it in. The final result of 4-2 was perhaps a bit harsh on Westlands but that has been the story of their season really.

Man of the match goes to HENRY LAWRENCE-NAPIER.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.W.Gullin 3.T.Budden 4.N.Wilton 5.Stu Smith 6.C.Wells 7.H.Lawrence-Napier 8. S.Gibbs 9.J.Burt 10.J.Payne 11.M.Rowswell 12.L.Stobbs 14.L.Howchin 15.J.Budden

Saturday 14th Jan 2017, Dorset Senior League

PORTLAND RESERVES  2  WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES  0

Westlands struggled against a strong Portland team but a couple of saves from Louis Martin and some dogged defending kept us level 0-0 at half time. Five minutes into the second half Portland scored and really their was no way back for Sports. The home side sealed victory with a second goal and it was only some last ditch defending by Westlands that kept the score respectable.

Man of the match goes to STU SMITH who rolled back the years with a vintage performance in defence.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.W.Gullin 3.J.Hewitt 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.T.Budden 7.L.Stobbs 8.C.Wells 9.J.Rowswell 10.N.Wilton 11.L.Howchin 12.M.Rowswell 14.J.Budden 15.J.Powell

Saturday 7th Jan 2017, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 1  BLANDFORD UTD RESERVES 3

With no victories in the first half of the year and sitting bottom of the table Sports had an opportunity here against second bottom Blandford to perhaps make up some ground.

With 6 teenagers in the starting line up and a few seasoned campaigners, Westlands looked to have the right mix but once again we failed to live up to expectations. We played some nice football at times but couldn’t put the ball in the net which has been a major failing all season. Referee Kelvin Day tried to help us out by awarding Sports two penalties but Sam Gibbs (again !) and Nick Wilton failed to convert. Our goal when it did come was a shot/cross from LIAM STOBBS which found the net possibly with some help from a Blandford defender. All in all, not a good day rounded off by Nick Wilton smashing his shot off the crossbar when through on goal with only the keeper to beat.

Man of the match goes to JAMIE BURT who put in a strong performance at the back and gave everything for the cause, as he always does.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.J.Powell 3.J.Hewitt 4.J.Burt 5.Stu Smith 6.S.Gibbs 7.L.Stobbs 8. J.Tailby 9.J.Rowswell 10.L.Howchin 11.M.Kamal 12.N.Wilton

Saturday 3rd Dec 2016, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 0 WITCHAMPTON UTD 3

Westlands were blown away in the first half by a strong Witchampton side and turned round 3-0 down at half time. In the second half it was just a case of keeping it tight and with the opposition in cruise control there were no more goals.

The Man of the Match Award this week goes to TOM BUDDEN who was moved to a midfield holding role this week and played with great composure showing his quality throughout.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.Stu Smith 4.J.Burt 5.T.Budden 6.N.Carney 7.L.Stobbs 8. J.Jarvis 9.J.Budden 10.N.Wilton 11.S.Gibbs 12.J.Powell 14.M.Rowswell 16.J.Hewitt

Saturday 26th Nov 2016, Dorset Senior League

PIDDLETRENTHIDE UTD 3 WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 2

After a couple of postponements when we couldn't raise a team it was nice to turn up at Puddletown with a full side and three subs ! Louis Martin was back, Brandon Scott and Stu Smith returned after injury, Nat Carney made a welcome return to the club and Nick Wilton and Joe Jarvis were also available. Add to this a new signing Michael Durrant and we looked well set to give Piddletrenthide a good game.

We went behind in the first half when a long ball saw Jamie Burt get on the wrong side of his man and a rather clumsy challenge saw us concede a penalty which they scored. 1-0 down at half time was not seen as a problem as we had given a good account of ourselves in the first half and had probably looked the better side.

In the second half we again got caught out by a long ball over the top and their player ran through to score. At 2-0 down things looked bleak but we kept plugging away and were rewarded when LIAM STOBBS scored to cut the deficit to one. Unfortunately we couldn't keep the door shut at the back and another break saw Piddletrenthide restore their 2 goal lead. We were still having the better of the play and we were creating chances but just couldn't finish them off. Eventually JAMES BUDDEN stuck one away to reduce the deficit to one goal again but by this time some of the Westland players were flagging a bit and we couldn't find an equaliser.

The Man of the Match Award this week goes to NAT CARNEY who, despite having hardly played this season, put in a typically energetic performance in the midfield.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.N.Wilton 4.J.Burt 5.T.Budden 6.N.Carney 7.L.Stobbs 8. Stu Smith 9.J.Budden 10.M.Durrant 11.J.Jarvis 12.M.Rowswell 14.C.Coates 16. C.Wells

Saturday 5th Nov 2016, Dorset Senior League

WITCHAMPTON UTD 3 WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 1

Westlands produced a surpise selection for this match with the introduction of normal first team goalkeeper Sam Watts playing at centre forward. Sports gave as good as they got in the first half, in fact with some cooler finishing could have been in front at the break. Sam Watts was proving to be an excellent target man up front and was giving the Witchampton defence some problems. For the second week in a row LIAM STOBBS was on target for Westlands and at 1-1 we had a great chance to go ahead when the referee awarded us a penalty. Sam Gibbs stepped up and thumped the ball off the crossbar and although he netted the rebound it was rightly ruled out as no one else had touched the ball. Manager Craig Stobbs even managed a cameo appearance late in the game but the least said about that the better. Nevertheless, although on the losing side again, it had not been a bad performance by Westlands but of course there is room for improvement.

The man-of-the-match award goes to SAM WATTS whose work ethic really set an example and was a thorn in the flesh of the home defenders.

Westlands line-up: 1.C.Coates 2.J.Powell 3.S.Morgan 4.J.Burt 5.T.Budden 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8. S.Gibbs 9.J.Tailby 10.S.Watts 11.M.Rowswell 12.C.Stobbs 14.W.Scott

Saturday 29th Oct 2016, Dorset Senior League

MILBORNE PORT 7 WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 1

Unfortunately, Westlands young team met a strong  physical Milborne side and they were just not  brave enough on the day. LIAM STOBBS grabbed Sports consolation goal in the second half.

The Man-of-the-Match award goes to LIAM STOBBS, at least he managed to score a goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.C.Coates 2.J.Powell 3.S.Morgan 4.J.Burt 5.T.Budden 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8. S.Gibbs 9.M.Rowswell 10.J.Jarvis 11.B.Johnson 12.J.Budden 14.M.White 15.J.Tailby

Saturday 22nd Oct 2016, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 0 DORCHESTER SPORTS RESERVES 1

One single goal was all that separated Westlands from the league leaders and by all accounts the winners were a bit lucky to escape with the three points.Westlands line up was boosted this week by the return of regular keeper Louis Martin, and with Sam Gibbs and Matt Phillips dropping down from the first team squad plus Ben Johnson back in the side we looked to have a strong team. Sports were playing some nice passing football and dominated the game for long spells without finding that final touch in front of goal. Jamie Burt had a fine game for Sports and he was unlucky not to score when a goalbound header was cleared off the line by one of his team mates ! The reserves are beginning to find their feet now and can take a lot of confidence from this display.

The Man-of-the-Match award goes to TOM BUDDEN whose composed performance at centre half belied his sixteen years and was worthy of the award this week.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.J.Powell 3.J.Hewitt 4.J.Burt 5.T.Budden 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8. S.Gibbs 9.J.Budden 10.B.Johnson 11.L.Howchin 12.B.White 14.M.Phillips 15.M.Rowswell

Saturday 15th Oct 2016, Dorset Senior League

POOLE BOROUGH 2 WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 2

Again Sports had no goalkeeper available and this time the volunteer was Jake Powell who had played in goal last season for one game and ended up with a clean sheet ! So no real problem there and with former first team regulars Matt Mullings and Lewis Howchin in the starting eleven we looked to have a stronger line up this week.

A tight match saw the teams locked 0-0 at half time but it was Westlands who took the lead in the second half with a James Budden goal. Poole equalised and the went ahead through a strongly disputed penalty, awarded for an innocuous challenge by Jamie Burt. Westlands felt justice was done when Joe Jarvis made it 2-2 to give us a well deserved share of the points.

The Man-of-the-Match award goes to JOE JARVIS who played up front and showed that touch of quality to hold the ball up and bring team-mates into play. Special mention also to two of our Under 18 players Jacob Hewitt and Tom Budden who had their first start and both had excellent games.

Westlands line-up: 1.J.Powell 2.M.White 3.J.Hewitt 4.J.Burt 5.T.Budden 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8. M.Mullings 9.J.Budden 10.J.Jarvis 11.L.Howchin 12.B.White 14.W.Scott

Saturday 9th Oct 2016, Dorset Senior Trophy, 1st Rnd

WESTLAND SPORTS 1 ALLENDALE 6

Sports tumbled out the cup at the first hurdle to a strong Allendale side. Sports were never in the game with our only goal coming from a Matt Phillips header.

The Man-of-the-Match award goes to JAMIE BURT who desperately tried to stem the tide at the back.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.B.Scott 3.S.Morgan 4.J.Burt 5.M.Phillips 6.C.Wells 7.L.Stobbs 8. B.Johnson 9.J.Budden 10.J.Jarvis 11.M.Rowswell 12.B.White 14.J.Coombes 15.T.Budden

Saturday 17th Sept 2016, Dorset Senior League

WESTLAND SPORTS  RESERVES 1 PORTLAND UTD 6

With no goalkeeper available, Josh Payne sportingly volunteered to go between the sticks but his lack of goalkeeping experience cost us at least two goals. The remainder were a result of some poor defending that an experienced Portland side exploited to the full.

The Man-of-the-Match award goes to new signing AARON GUPPY who came on as a sub and grabbed Sports consolation goal with a good performance on the wing..

Westlands line-up: 1.J.Payne 2.J.Powell 3.J.Coombes 4.B.Scott 5.J.Burt 6.J.Dicker 7.L.Stobbs 8. C.Wells 9.M.Rowswell 10.B.Johnson 11.J.Jarvis 12.M.White 14.B.White 15.A.Guppy.

10th Sept 2016, Dorset Senior League

ALLENDALE 2 WESTLAND SPORTS RESERVES 1

The first game of the season for the Reserves and a trip to Wimborne to play Allendale under new managers Craig Stobbs and assistant Marc White.

Westlands started the brighter of the two teams but found themselves 1-0 down after about 20 minutes. Sports kept pressing and in the 30th minute Aron Wallis netted but was flagged offside. About 5 minutes later some great work by James Budden down the left wing set up ARON WALLIS and he scored to make it 1-1. Unfortunately a few minutes before half time some sloppy marking in the Westlands defence allowed Allendale to score to make it 2-1 to them at the break.

In the second half Westlands were the better team. Max Rowswell had what looked a perfectly good goal disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper and late on their keeper pulled off a good save when Jamie Burt got his head to a free kick. Aron Wallis also had a goal chalked off for offside. Try as they might Sports couldn’t get that equaliser so came home disappointed as they felt they deserved to take something from the game.

Man of the matchaward goes to ARON WALLIS, who, apart from his goal, had an excellent game and showed that touch of quality on the ball.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.Marc White 3.S.Morgan 4.J.Burt 5.B.Scott 6.J.Dicker 7.L.Stobbs 8. C.Wells 9.J.Budden 10.B.Johnson 11.A.Wallis 12.J.Coombes 14.M.Rowswell 15.J.Powell.

UNDER 18 TEAM

 

Sunday 19th Mar 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

RINGWOOD  2  WESTLAND SPORTS  0

Once again we were so short of players we had to sign 3 lads as emergency signings before the game and we are grateful to them for helping us out when one or two of our regulars were missing (?). We had no recognised keeper so fair play to Tommy Frampton who volunteered to go between the sticks.

A bit of a scratch team then and it showed as the home side got on the attack from the off. The referee showed he wasn't going to tolerate any nonsense early on when he showed Charlie Vine a yellow card for kicking the ball away. In the 12th minute we went behind and there was a bit of bad luck involved in this one. A free kick from well out was easily covered by Sports stand-in keeper Tommy Frampton but unfortunately he fumbled his catch and the ball dropped over his shoulder into the back of the net ! I think it was probably the luminous yellow goalkeeper's kit that dazzled him ! Our defence were under severe pressure and could have done with a bit more help from some of their colleagues who were watching from around the halfway line. After 25 minutes we went further behind when the burly Ringwood centre forward burst through and drove a shot into the net from about 12 yards. Again we were a bit unlucky here as there was a hint of offside about this one but the lino failed to spot it ! At 2-0 down things were looking grim as we were facing a pretty strong wind and weren't able to get much pressure on at the other end to give our overworked defenders a breather. Soon after the second goal Westtlands captain Ryan McGuinn picked up a yellow card for persistant moaning at the referee. We had some close shaves after that and Tommy Frampton made a couple of good saves with his legs as we managed to keep them at bay until half-time.

It had been a tough first half but we were only 2-0 down and with the wind behind us in the second half we could maybe get back into this game. However, a lot of negative comments from the players at half time didn't bode well for the second half so we went out more in hope than expectation.

We made a change of goalkeeper at half time with Jai Myall taking over from Tommy Frampton. With Tommy and Jamie Irwin now in tandem in the centre of the midfield we were having a lot more possession and were pushing Ringwood back into their own half. Unfortunately the game now developed into a niggly contest with the referee blowing up for free kicks every few minutes to the frustration of the Westlands players. This tactic suited the home team as they had a 2 goal lead and a further series of free kicks saw Karl Davies in the book. Around the hour mark Westlands had a golden opportunity to score the goal which may have changed the game. Karl Davis fired in a free kick on the wind and their keeper dropped it about 10 yards out. There were 2 Westlands players right there and it looked a certain goal but somehow we couldn't get that vital touch and the ball was scrambled away. The match was deteriorating all the time with both teams guilty of a lot of silly petty fouls and Jamie Thompson then got a yellow for swearing at the referee when denied a free kick ! Ringwood were still dangerous in attack and Jai Myall made a couple of good saves but Westlands were beginning to run out of ideas as Ringwood were getting lots of men behind the ball. We needed to attack down the flanks but with Karl Davis deciding to play at the back we missed his drive and crossing down the left. The game eventually petered out and we were quite glad in the end to hear the final whistle.

In the end the final result of 2-0 just showed that with a bit more shape to our team and a bit more application we could maybe have got something out of this game. It is difficult with three new players in the side but you always have a chance if you organise well. In this game, with players deciding where they wanted to play it ended up a bit of a shambles.

The Regis Foods Man of the Match this week goes to one of the new signings DANIEL HUNT who, for a lad just turned 16, showed remarkable maturity that some of his older team-mates lacked. He was our main threat up front, had good distribution and was always available to receive the ball so an excellent all round display.

Westlands line-up: 1.T.Frampton 2.M.Calverley 3.C.Liddiard 4.C.Vine 5.R.McGuinn 6.J.Myall 7.J.Thompson 8.J.Irwin 9.D.Hunt 10.B.Walters 11.K.Davis

Sunday 26th Feb 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

DORCHESTER TOWN  1  WESTLAND SPORTS  3

A cold afternoon in Dorchester with a strong wind blowing end to end and this would undoubtedly be a bit of a leveller. Westlands made two changes from last week with Tom Budden and Andre Anjos returning to the line up in place of Tommy Frampton and Connor Liddiard.

Sports started on the attack from the kick-off and in the 2nd minute a low ball across the face of the goal from Charlie Berrington found no takers. A minute later a neat pass from Jamie Thompson gave Charlie Berrington a chance but the keeper saved his shot, pushing it for a corner. As we suspected the wind was playing a big part in the game with lots of passes going astray but in general Westlands were the team getting the ball down and stringing a few passes together. After 15 minutes we had a free kick on the edge of the box and our dead ball expert Jamie Thompson’s low shot round the wall slipped just past the post. Another good move from Westlands in the 25th minute saw Jamie Irwin put Jamie Thompson in but the keeper saved with his legs. It was almost one way traffic with the home team not worrying Westlands defence and Andre Anjos was next to have a go, blasting a Jamie Thompson cross over the bar. After 37 minutes Dorchester had their best chance of the game when their number 8 ran through three weak challenges but panicked a bit with only the keeper to beat and Owen Male saved his effort well. A minute later we at last got that opening goal we thought was never coming. Karl Davis, who was running the show in centre midfield, burst down the left and fired over a low cross that CHARLIE BERRINGTON shinned past the keeper into the corner of the net. That was the important opening goal we wanted and, although the home side tried to respond they were guilty of knocking long balls forward where Westlands skipper Ryan McGuinn was winning everything in the air.

A half time score of 1-0 did not really reflect our superiority but we were in control and we were confident we could score more goals in the second half.

With the wind now in our favour we were camped in the Dorchester half and it seemed only a matter of time before we scored again. Having said that, the home team were getting men behind the ball and trying to make it a physical battle so we had to be a bit patient. In the 58th minute Charlie Berrington put a low ball across the face of the goal but again nobody was on the spot for an easy tap in. But a few minutes later, in the 62nd minute to be exact, we got the second goal. Some good play by Jamie Irwin and a sliderule pass through to CHARLIE BERRINGTON was despatched into the top corner by the Westlands striker for his second goal of the afternoon.  More Westlands pressure and a third goal soon followed. Karl Davis put over a perfect free kick from the left and TOM BUDDEN ran in and smashed the ball into the roof of the net. A rare goal for Tom but a just reward for another solid display at the back. As the game moved into the last 10 minutes, Billy Cox ran on to a Tom Budden through ball, lobbed the keeper, and saw the ball come back off the crossbar. Some good composure there from Billy that deserved a goal. Then in the 83rd minute we conceded a goal to spoil the clean sheet. A good through ball into our box saw a Dorchester striker, defender Tom Budden and keeper Owen Male all converge on the ball which ended up in the back of our net. I presume the Dorchester striker got the touch and that made the final score 3-1 to Westlands.

Several contenders for the Regis Foods Man of the Match this week but a much improved performance from MIKE CALVERLY wins him the award. Mike supported his team-mates well and his distribution was excellent throughout the game, keeping the ball on the ground in the blustery conditions.

Westlands line-up: 1.O.Male 2.M.Calverley 3.T.Budden 4.A.Anjos 5.R.McGuinn 6.C.Vine 7.J.Thompson 8.J.Irwin 9.C.Berrington 10.J.Tailby 11.K.Davis 12.B.Cox 15.M.Kamal

Sunday 19th Feb 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS  3  POOLE TOWN WESSEX  2

Although we had been on a good run recently we had to make a couple of changes this week with Charlie Berrington and Jake Tailby replacing Tom Budden and Isaac Atherley.

Westlands made the early running and kept Wessex pretty much in their own half but a couple of little breaks showed that they had some good pace up front and we would need to be wary of this. Unfortunately in the 14th minute we switched off at a free kick and it cost us dearly. The kick to Wessex was in their own half and some Westlands players were just strolling back not paying attention when Wessex played a short one to their number 6. He fired a long ball over the top and we were outpaced by one of their players who slid the ball under Westlands keeper Owen Male into the net. Some sloppy defending which probably reflected a rather slack pre-match preparation. Nevertheless we continued to be positive and pushed forward but had to be awake to the fast breaks by the opposition. In the 36th minute we equalised and it was an excellent route one effort that drew us level. A huge clearance from Owen Male was flicked on with his head by Charlie Berrington and JAKE TAILBY was on the move to run on and lob the keeper nicely. We deserved the equaliser and for the most part continued to dominate the game. Just before half time a Jacob Tailby header looked as if it was going in but it just cleared the bar and landed on the roof of the net. It had been quite a physical first half with players flying into challenges but the referee had handled it very well and kept the game flowing.

We were reasonably happy with the half time 1-1 scoreline as we felt we would undoubtedly make some more chances in the second half. We made two half time substitutions With Jacob Hewitt and Malik Kamal replacing Mike Calverley and Jake Tailby.

In the first minute of the second half Tommy Frampton strode through the opposition and shot just past the post but in the 48th minute disaster struck when we gave away a goal. Jacob Hewitt, almost on the right touchline and about 30 yards out, tried a pass back to the keeper and left it woefully short. A Wessex player nipped in, took the ball round the keeper and slotted it into the empty net. Another lapse of concentration and it left us a goal behind again. We kept our heads and kept plugging away looking for an opening. In the 61st minute we tied the score up at 2-2 and what a goal it was. JAMIE THOMPSON cut in along the edge of the penalty area and was tripped for a free kick on the edge of the box. Jamie took it himself and for the second week running, curled a lovely shot into the top corner. We were at last looking a bit sharper in our play and in the 75th minute we took the lead. Charlie Berrington put a lovely ball in behind the Wessex defence for Karl Davis to run on to. Karl drove into the box and when he fired the ball across the face of goal a defender turned it into his own net for an OG.

At last we were in front for the first time in the game and just to add a little more protection we switched to a back four for the rest of the game. We were still pushing forward though, and with time running out we had a great chance to put the game beyond their reach. Jamie Irwin went on a great run into the opposition box and was brought down. A certain penalty and Jamie took it himself but unfortunately his sidefoot effort was just at the right height for the keeper to save. It was on target but the keeper guessed correctly and dived on the ball. It didn’t make any difference though as the referee’s whistle soon after clinched the three points for Westlands with a 3-2 victory.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to KARL DAVIS who was a real handful to the opposition defence with his pace and delivery from the left.

Westlands line-up: 1.O.Male 2.M.Calverley 3.C.Liddiard 4.T.Frampton 5.R.McGuinn 6.C.Vine 7.J.Thompson 8.J.Irwin 9.C.Berrington 10.J.Tailby 11.K.Davis 12.J.Hewitt 13.M.Kamal

Sunday 12th Feb 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

HAMWORTHY UTD  2  WESTLAND SPORTS  4

Although we travelled to the County Ground with a bare 11 players it was the same 11 that had played in the last game against Poole Town so it was nice to have a bit of continuity in the team selection.

The 3G pitch was a lovely surface so we knew we would be able to play a bit of football on it and with two good victories behind us the lads seemed in good spirits before the game. After the initial opening exchanges it was Westlands who began to put on the pressure as we moved towards 15 minutes gone. Several chances were made but we couldn’t find a decent finish. Hamworthy’s main threat came from free kicks which their big centre back twice got his head to but put over the bar. Nevertheless our pressure was building and it looked as if the first goal was coming. In the 24th minute, against the run of play, the hosts took the lead. Another free kick was not dealt with and their lad scored from close range at the far post. Undeterred, Westlands kept their heads up and continued to play their football and after 30 minutes we equalised. TOMMY FRAMPTON picked the ball up just inside the Hamworthy half. As the opposition backed off Tommy strode forward and from about 20 yards out smashed in a shot that dipped over the keeper’s head into the net. There was a moment of stunned silence around the ground before people realised what had happened. A super goal and the Sports players were now buzzing. In the 35th minute Connor Liddiard nearly scored with a shot that came back off the crossbar. Then a couple of minutes later Karl Davis scampered down the left wing and fired a shot just past the post. Then in the 38th minute we went 2-1 in front. Connor Liddiard picked up the ball in a dangerous position on the edge of the opposition box. As he was about to shoot a Hamworthy defender booted the ball off his toe and it flew into the corner of the net for a classic OG. We didn’t have our lead for long, 6 minutes to be exact, before they equalised. They had been having their best moments when they got the ball out wide on the flanks and once again it was their right winger who made progress and he squared the ball across goal where his team mate turned it into the net at the far post. That tied the score up 2-2 at half time and that was probably a fair enough score line as both teams had their moments in the half. Just before the break we had a bit of a flare up between the teams as tempers got a bit frayed but the referee dealt with it very well and both teams had time to cool off over the half-time break.

At the break we discussed a couple of areas where they had caused us problems but generally we had played well so we looked forward to the rest of the game with some confidence.

The second half was another good team performance from Westlands. Tommy Frampton and Jamie Irwin were running the midfield now and we were creating chances. In the 57th minute Jamie Thompson, who was now causing the Hamworthy defence problems cutting in from the right, unleashed a shot that came off the crossbar. Then the hard working Isaac Atherley had a shot that hit the post before, eventually, we went in front on the hour mark. A free kick on the edge of the box was curled perfectly round the wall into the top corner by JAMIE THOMPSON to make it 3-2 to Westlands.

Hamworthy tried to hit back but they weren’t making much progress now against a dogged Sports defence and when they did get a cross over or a shot in Owen Male, the Westlands keeper, was dealing with them confidently. In the 70th minute Connor Liddiard should have scored when he was clean through with only the keeper to beat but he slipped the ball past the far post. In the 75th minute we extended our lead to two when JAMIE THOMPSON fired over a dipping shot from out on the right that deceived the keeper and finished in the far corner. That put us 4-2 up and with 15 minutes to go we just needed to make sure we didn't do anything silly. The players responded well and didn’t really give the opposition a chance as they tried to put some pressure on our defence. We kept our shape well and played out time with relative ease to complete another good victory on the road for Westlands.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to TOMMY FRAMPTON who showed his class with a dominant performance in midfield. Add to that the cracking goal that silenced the crowd in the first half and it all adds up to a man of the match performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.O.Male 2.M.Calverley 3.T.Budden 4.T.Frampton 5.R.McGuinn 6.C.Vine 7.J.Thompson 8.J.Irwin 9.C.Liddiard 10.I.Atherley 11.K.Davis

Sunday 22nd Jan 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS  5  POOLE TOWN  3

After the good win last sunday at Parley we were in confident mood this week against the league leaders. As usual there were changes to the line-up. Out went Louis Martin, Jacob Hewitt, Charlie Berrington and Callum Stephens and in came Owen Male, Connor Liddiard, Tom Sullivan, Billy Cox, Andre Anjos and Tommy Frampton so we had two subs this week and a strong squad on paper.

We started quite confidently but were soon rocked by the opening goal in the 8th minute. Jamie Irwin lost possession just inside our half, the ball was passed down the left and delivered into the middle where a Poole player was unmarked to plant a header into the back of the net. Not an ideal start playing the league leaders but Westlands were soon pressing forward into the opposition half and got the equaliser 3 minutes later. A good cross was put over to the far post where BILLY COX conrolled it and buried his shot into the back of the net. Westlands settled into a good spell now where they controlled the game and kept the opposition on the back foot. In the 20th minute came a huge let off for the visitors when a well directed Billy Cox header from an Andre Anjos cross came off the post with the keeper beaten. A minute later it was Westlands turn for a let off when a Poole ‘goal’ was disallowed for offside. In the 23rd minute Sports took the lead when a slide rule pass put ISAAC ATHERLEY through and he provided a cool finish, shooting low past the advancing keeper into the corner. Sports had their tails up now and scored again in the 31st minute. Charlie Vine won possession and played a good ball forward to Jamie Thompson who drove into the box and squared for ANDRE ANJOS to score at the far post. Good football from Westlands and they continued to push forward. In the 43rd minute a Jamie Thompson shot was tipped over the bar and from the corner Charlie Vine had a header saved.

The half time whistle ended an excellent half for Westlands and a good 3-1 lead but we were playing the league leaders so could expect a strong response from them in the second half.

Sports began the second half as they had finished the first, on the attack. Jamie Thompson put a shot just past the post but in the 51st minute we scored number 4 with a super solo effort from ISAAC ATHERLEY. He picked up the ball just inside the Poole half and took off with the defenders trailing in his wake. As the keeper came out Isaac drove the ball across him into the far corner. Good stuff, and with Sports now leading 4-1 we were in a commanding position but there was still nearly 40 minutes to go so we needed to be sensible. Five minutes after the fourth goal we nearly made it five when the Poole keeper saved a Tommy Frampton shot at point blank range. The visitors had nothing to lose now and with 30 minutes left they began to throw men forward and put us under pressure. In the 61st minute Owen Male in the Westlands goal made a great save from a free header. Then 10 minutes later we gave them a chance when Ryan McGuinn dwelt on the ball, lost possession and then brought the player down for a penalty. Luckily Owen Male came to Sports rescue by diving to his left and saving the spot kick. Westlands were getting a bit sloppy now, giving away possession and losing their composure with one or two players starting to moan and groan. Poole took advantage and scored in the 75th minute to make it 4-2. A tremendous goalmouth scramble saw several attempts blocked before the ball was eventually booted into the roof of the net. Westlands were at sixes and sevens and quickly conceded again within three minutes. At 4-3 the Poole management sensed a win was on the cards with 12 mminutes still to go and urged their team on. However Westlands managed to steady the ship a bit after this although we were living a bit dangerously as the visitors threw men forward. Then, with 5 minutes left on the clock, we wrapped the game up with the fifth goal and it was the result of a lovely move down the left wing. Jamie Irwin fed Tommy Frampton whose cross to the far post picked out JAMIE THOMPSON who was unmarked five yards out and he knocked the ball in to great relief all round the ground. That was that really, although we nearly made it six in the last minute when we missed a good chance.

The final result of 5-3 was well deserved as Westlands had been on top for most of the game. We wobbled a bit in the second half but got our act together and took three good points.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to ISAAC ATHERLEY. That solo effort was a great goal but Isaac’s over all  contribution to the game was excellent. Playing up front, he held the ball up well and combined well with his team-mates to give the Poole defence problems all afternoon.

Westlands line-up: 1.O.Male 2.T.Budden 3.C.Liddiard 4.I.Atherly 5.R.McGuinn 6.C.Vine 7.T.Sullivan 8.J.Irwin 9.B.Cox 10.J.Thompson 11.A.Andros 12.M.Calverley 15.T.Frampton

Sunday 15th Jan 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

PARLEY SPORTS 1 WESTLAND SPORTS 3

Although we lost last week, we had played quite well but here we were once again having to make five changes to the starting line up. Out went Owen Male, Karl Davis, Tommy Frampton, Billy Cox and Connor Liddiard and they were replaced by Louis Martin, Jacob Hewitt, Charlie Vine, Jamie Thompson and new signing Callum Stephens. Parley were near the top of the table so it was a tough assignment, especially as we had the bare eleven players with no subs, but the eleven lads on duty were up for it and we were determined to make this a tough game for them.

The play soon settled into a pattern with the home side (as you might expect) having the lion’s share of possession and creating several good chances, one of which hit the post and rebounded to safety. However, the Westlands back three of Mike Calverley, skipper Ryan McGuinn and Tom Budden were defending resolutely, and it was noticeable that when Westlands did attack we were creating some good chances. The opening goal came for Westlands in the 40th minute. A long cross from the left wing seemed to be heading for their keeper's arms but as he waited for the ball CHARLIE BERRINGTON made a good run across him and leapt up to put a glancing header into the net. An opportunist goal well taken and not undeserved as we had looked dangerous when we attacked. Unfortunately we couldn’t hold on to our lead until half time as a Parley player had space on the edge of the box to drill a good shot into the corner of the net for the equaliser.

A 1-1 draw at half time was a good result but we had looked a bit open in the first half and really needed to give more cover to our back three who were being left a bit exposed. A few tweaks were made to the line up to make us a bit more solid defensively as we knew we had the quality going forward to nick a goal if we could keep it tight at the back.

The second half started with the home team pushing forward, but they were now faced with a solid looking Westlands defence as we now got men behind the ball. Our defence were looking to clear their lines now as we were gambling with two men up and wanted to get the ball forward to them as they had shown they could cause Parley problems. In the 50th minute we went ahead once again and it was a another good piece of opportunism that created the goal. The Parley keeper scuffed a clearance from the edge of his box and the ball fell to ISAAC ATHERLEY about 40 yards out and he drove the ball over the retreating keeper’s head into the back of the net. A great goal and the Westland players enjoyed the moment and who could blame them ! OK, 2-1 to Sports, so we needed a bit of composure now and we got it as the Westlands players kept their shape and defended in numbers. In the meantime we were causing real problems when we broke forward and eventually this played dividends in the 75th minute when we scored again. Jamie Irwin drove forward into the Parley box and as the keeper came out he squared the ball for CHARLIE BERRINGTON to slide in and put the ball in the back of the net from about a yard out. A well worked goal and with a two goal buffer we had a bit of a safety net now. With nothing to lose Parley threw everything at us but we defended well and Louis Martin the Sports keeper dealt with any high crosses well. One Parley effort hit the bar and a couple flew just past the post so we were quite pleased to hear the final whistle close out our 3-1 victory.

All the players had played their part but it was pleasing that we had been able to maintain our shape and defend our lead against a good side.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to TOM BUDDEN who hardly put a foot wrong all afternoon. Great determination, winning tackles, interceptions, and getting crucial blocks in when needed.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.M.Calverley 3.T.Budden 4.C.Vine 5.R.McGuinn 6.I.Atherly 7.C.Stephens 8.J.Irwin 9.C.Berrington 10.J.Thompson 11.J.Hewitt.

Sunday 8th Dec 2017, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS  1  SHAFTESBURY 3

With three new signings on show we lined up against the league leaders with a full side and a couple of subs which was a treat.

The opening few minutes were dominated by Westlands and we pinned Shaftesbury back in their own half and forced a couple of early corners. In the 8th minute Sports were denied a stonewall penalty when a player was clearly pushed over in the box but for some reason the referee ignored our claims which set the tone for a frustrating afternoon. A minute later Westlands had a corner kick but left themselves exposed at the back and when Shaftesbury broke their centre forward ran through to score. Goalkeeper Owen Male got his leg to the shot but could only deflect the ball into the top corner. It was a poor goal to lose as some players didn’t do their jobs at the corner. Play continued with Westlands mainly attacking and Shaftesbury defending in numbers. On the half hour Jamie Irwin let fly with a great shot but it flew just past the post. A few minutes later Tommy Frampton had a shot well saved by their keeper who was having a good game. In the 40th minute Jamie Irwin put a free kick just past the post. It was all Westlands really, Shaftesbury tried to mount a few attacks but Ryan McGuinn was in commanding form at the back for Westlands so they never really troubled us.

The half-time scoreline of 1-0 didn’t reflect play so we were fairly confident if we kept things going we could turn this match around.

Westlands kept up the pressure in the second half but were finding themselves crowded out by a well organised Shaftesbury team who just got lots of men behind the ball. If we did find a way through their keeper was having a good day and dealt with everything that was on target. In the 60th minute disaster struck when they scored again on the break. A high punt into the Westlands box saw two Sports defenders get in each others way as they both went for the header and the ball fell nicely to a Shaftesbury player who had an easy task to score. With a two goal lead Shaftesbury were quite happy now to sit back and soak up the pressure which they did very successfully. Karl Davis was Westlands main threat down the left and he put several balls into the box but there were no Westlands players busting a gut to get on the end of them so they were fairly easily cleared. However, we kept plugging away and we got our reward in the 87th minute when we scored to make it 2-1. A corner kick led to a tremendous goalmouth scramble with several shots being blocked before the ball fell to CONNOR LIDDIARD who thumped it into the roof of the net. Could Sports save the day at this late stage ? No, was the answer as in the last minute Shaftesbury broke away again to seal the points with a third goal. Westlands left themselves without any cover at the back and were completely outnumbered when Shaftesbury broke upfield. Again a disappointing goal to lose as we completely lost our shape and concentration at the very moment we had a chance of getting something out of the game.

Credit to Shaftesbury, they were on the back foot for most of the game but defended doggedly and took the chances when they were presented. Westlands had played well, no doubt about that, but have that tendency to lose soft goals, and that cost them in this match.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to RYAN McGUINN who looked a commanding figure at the back for Westlands, in particular winning everything in the air.

Westlands line-up: 1.O.Male 2.T.Budden 3.K.Davis 4.T.Frampton 5.R.McGuinn 6.B.Cox 7.M.Calverley 8.J.Irwin 9.C.Berrington 10.I.Atherly 11.C.Liddiard 12.C.Vine 14.J.Hewitt.

Sunday 18th Dec 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

POOLE TOWN WESSEX  6  WESTLAND SPORTS  5

As usual we were struggling for a team but with the addition of two Under 16s we managed to get 11 players to fulfil the fixture. This week’s line up actually looked quite strong so we were hoping to avoid a repeat of last week’s humiliation but we were making 8 changes from last week so it is very difficult to establish any settled team pattern under these circumstances. The conditions were not ideal. Although the 3G surface was good it had two wires across the pitch and the changing facilities were non–existant.

The opposition were a very professional looking outfit and they started fast on the quick surface and Louis Martin had to make a save in the first minute. Sports were on the back foot and were a bit slow to settle but in our first real attack after 6 minutes we took the lead ! Karl Davis put over a deep free kick to the far post, Charlie Berrington headed it back across goal and JAKE TAILBY put a powerful header back across the keeper into the corner of the net. That goal gave Westlands a bit of confidence and we began to put a few attacks together but in the 27th minute Wessex missed an absolute sitter when their player missed the target from about 5 yards. That was a let off and Sports took full advantage by scoring again in the 21st minute. A blatant jersey pull gave Westlands a free kick on the edge of the box and CHARLIE BERRINGTON drilled the ball low and hard into the corner to make it 2-0 ! Wessex had nothing to lose now and threw everything into attack. A couple of minutes later we had a slice of luck when a shot beat Louis Martin in the Westlands goal and cannoned off the post to safety. That was evened out in the 26th minute when another shot from a Wessex player took a deflection and finished up in the back of the net with Louis Martin stranded. At this point Westlands had lost their shape a bit with not enough midfielders getting behind the ball so Wessex were over-running us in the midfield and putting the back line under severe pressure. The opposition also had a couple of quick lads down the right and in the 37th minute they provided the cross for the equalising goal to be banged in. Wessex kept up the pressure but we held on and turned round 2-2.

Westlands changed things around a bit at half time to beef up the midfield and the shape looked a lot better in the opening minutes of the second half. Unfortunately in the 49th minute we went behind to a brilliant solo effort. The Wessex centre forward picked the ball up on the edge of the box with his back to goal, rolled his marker and smashed a shot into the top corner. Having been 2-0 up early on we now found ourselves 3-2 down so the lads needed to show a bit of courage now if the game wasn’t to slip away. They certainly found that spirit in the 53rd minute when a lovely passing move between Andre Anjos and Tommy Frampton ended with a perfect pass from Tommy putting CHARLIE BERRINGTON in behind the defence and he stuck the ball away into the far corner with inch perfect precision. What a goal to put us back on level terms at 3-3 and Sports almost cashed in straight away but the Wessex keeper pulled off a point blank save to keep us from going in front. Sports were looking good now but on the hour mark we had the wind taken out of our sails when Wessex scored from a quick break down the left making it 4-3 to them. It was end to end now and Westlands had the next chance but Charlie Berrington’s header flew just past the post. Westlands were making good progress down the left with Karl Davis and Tommy Frampton combining well and we created a few chances but couldn’t stick them away. As we approached the last 15 minutes our lack of substitutes was an issue as one or two of our players were beginning to tire and our back line were dropping deeper and deeper. In the 75th minute Wessex put in a cross from the right which picked out an unmarked player at the far post and he thumped the ball into the top corner to extend their lead to 5-3. We lost the plot for a few minutes and a stupid foul on a player out on the bye line gifted them a penalty which they stuck away to make it 6-3. Westlands needed to get a grip now and to their credit the lads rallied and in the 80th minute pulled one back. A corner from the right swung in with his left foot by Tommy Frampton picked out MALIK KAMAL unmarked and he buried his header to make it 6-4 ! Two minutes later Westlands carved open the Wessex defence and TOMMY FRAMPTON waltzed through to lob the keeper and make it game on at 6-5 ! Wessex were beginning to panic a bit now and they pulled everyone back to protect their slim one goal lead. Try as they might Sports just couldn’t find that equalising goal they probably deserved and at the final whistle we had to accept a 6-5 defeat.

It had been a cracking game of football and all the Westland players can be proud of the efforts. Once again however, our lack of players definitely cost us as the opposition had 5 subs who they rotated frequently to keep up the pace and that probably just gave them an edge late in the game.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to CHARLIE BERRINGTON who played up front on his own but held the ball up well and was a constant threat to the opposition defence. Two goals as well made it a standout performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2. M.Calverley 3.K.Davis 4.J.Roberts 5. R.McGuinn 6.T.Sullivan 7.M.Kamal

8.T.Frampton  9.C.Berrington 10.J.Tailby 11.A.Anjos

Sunday 11th Dec 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

POOLE TOWN 9  WESTLAND SPORTS 1

Another sad day in the history of Westlands Under 18s. Believe it or not we have 32 players signed on for this team but we struggle to get 11 to play every week. Anyway, 9 of our reliable players plus a new signing went down too play a strong Poole Town team at Blandford 4G. We had a 4-4-1 line up planned but somehow we ended up playing 4-2-3 !! Nevertheless we did quite well in the first half with CONNOR LIDDIATT getting us off to a flyer with an outstanding goal in the first minute ! He cut in from the left and from an acute angle smashed a shot high into the far top corner - what a finish ! Unfortunately we could only stay in front for a minute. Matt McGowan, Sports keeper, flapped at a corner and it was turned in at the far post to make it 1-1 after 2 minutes played ! Defensively we were doing quite well and Connor was battling away up front so we were holding our own. In the 14th minute we went behind when a shot from 20 yards crept into the bottom corner. Although Poole were having lots of pressure and we were riding our luck a bit, we were looking like we had held it to 2-1 at the interval until a goal with virtually the last kick of the half put us 2 down.

That goal hurt us a bit but 10 men isn't the end of the world if you get your organisation right.

Unfortunately our team decided to "go for it" in the second half and committed football suicide by pushing another man up which meant we were now playing 4-1-4 !! Poole just poured through the midfield and virtually scored at will. Goals in the 50th, 51st, 65th, 66th, 75th and 82nd minutes completed the rout. Frankly we were praying for the final whistle before it got to double figures.

No criticism of any of these 10 lads, they made the effort and showed a bit of chracter in doing that.

Man of the match is CONNOR LIDDIATT. This player showed what commitment is by travelling from Midsomer Norton tp play and finished up spitting blood after a whack on the mouth. And he scored a marvellous goal so a worthy man of the match.

Westlands line-up: 1.M.McGowan 2.M.Calverley 3.J.Ryan 4 R.McGuinn. 5.C.Vine 6. J.Irwin  7.J.Thomson

8.T.Frampton  9.C.Liddiatt 10.J.Hewitt

Sunday 13th Nov 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 4  NEW MILTON TOWN 2

After a couple of disastrous weeks we had several players available again but still only 12 to start the match whereas our opponents, all the way from New Milton, had 15 !  We had two of the Under 16s squad, Dan Ewens and Stan Waldron, making their debut and we also had a new signing Michael Calverley to welcome to the club.

Westlands started sloppily and could have been one down with 2 minutes played. We gave the ball away in our own half and an opposition attacker was clean through. Luckily he missed the target with his shot but it was an early warning. We were soon on the front foot and in the 7th minute took the lead. Stan Waldron, playing out on the right, took on the full back, got to the bye line and put over a good deep cross. TOMMY FRAMPTON took the ball down, stepped inside 2 defenders and fired a low shot into the far corner. A good move and some great skill by Tommy to finish it off. New Milton were a bit shell shocked and 3 minutes later we went two up. A cross into the box was well controlled by CHARLIE BERRINGTON who brought the ball down and drilled a shot into the corner. Westlands almost went 3 up when Jack Dicker headed into the net but the goal was ruled out for a foul. Then New Milton also had one disallowed for offside. In 30 minutes another good move put Charlie Berrington through on goal but he duffed his shot. As we moved towards half time Andre Anjos shot over the bar and then, with a minute to go in the half, we scored again to make it 3-0. Charlie Berrington dribbled into the box and was tackled by the visitor’s keeper who had come well off his line. Penalty said the referee and CHARLIE BERRINGTON took it himself and buried it in the corner.

That was the last action of the half and it had been a good one for Westlands. We had bossed the game and our quality had shown as we built up that three goal lead.

The second half started a bit low key, with the opposition perhaps a bit deflated and Westlands perhaps thinking the game was won. In the 53rd minute we added to our lead with a clinical goal. Andre Anjos and Charlie Berrington exchanged passes that sliced open the opposition defence and put Charlie in on goal. As the keeper rushed out Charlie’s touch past him took him wide of the goal but he turned and squared the ball to ANDRE ANJOS who had an easy sidefoot in. When we play first time passes like this we are almost unplayable but too often players want to hold on to the ball and beat a man before releasing it which just kills the momentum. Anyway, a lovely goal by Westlands and at 4-0 the game looked safe. However, with the Westland layers now strolling around, New Milton came back into the game. On the hour mark Matt McGowan made a good save to protect his clean sheet and then a few minutes later Ryan McGuinn made a great clearance when a shot was netbound. From the resulting corner, however, New Milton scored. The cross came over and was headed in at the far post. New Milton had their tails up now and four minutes later scored again to make it 4-2. This time it was a bit of a shambles for Westlands defensively and an unmarked player had plenty of time to thump the ball into the net. With 20 minutes to go there was still time for the visitors to get something out this game which was poor really as Westlands had the game in the bag. The Westlands manager made a a tactical switch at this point with Jack Dicker going back to centre half and Ryan McGuinn going up front. This seemed to stem the tide with Ryan holding the ball up and Jack providing a bit of physical presence at the back. So we played out time without any more scares and the three valuable points.

A good result for Westlands but, performance wise, there is still a lot of improvement to be made. As has been said before there is no questioning the ability of this team it is just the attitude that needs to improve. To be 4-0 up and then just stop playing is poor. Some of the Westland players were just strolling in the second half and were not playing for the team. A final word of praise for the two U16s who made their debut, both had excellent games and showed they had the qualities to compete at this level which bodes well for next season.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to CHARLIE BERRINGTON who looked hungry after his 3 match suspension and backed up a lively performance with 2 goals.

Westlands line-up: 1.M.McGowan 2.J.Ryan 3.T.Budden 4.T.Sullivan 5.D.Ewens 6. R.McGuinn 7.A.Anjos

8. T.Frampton  9.C.Berrington 10. J.Dicker 11. S.Waldron 12.M.Calverley

Sunday 30th Oct 2016, Dorset FA Youth Cup, 1st Rnd

HAMWORTHY UTD 4 WESTLAND SPORTS 3

Westlands travelled to Hamworthy with only 10 men, including two under 16s, due to players calling off at the last minute. Such a pity as it was a lovely warm day and the County Ground was looking trim with its new 3G pitch, so the perfect setting to enjoy a game of football.

The game was back and forth for the first 15 minutes and at this stage it certainly didn’t look as if Sports only had 10 men. After 15 minutes the first chance of the game came when Malik Kamal got to the ball before the keeper and played it across the box to Jamie Thompson who unfortunately fluffed a good chance to score. Hamworthy were pressing forward into our half but the defence, well marshalled by Ryan McGuinn in the unaccustomed position of centre half, stood firm. In behind, keeper Matt McGowan was in good form pulling off a couple of good saves. In the 36th minute a good passing move saw the ball fall to Malik Kamal on the edge of the box and he had a good strike at goal which drew a great save from their keeper, clawing the ball away from the top corner. In the last few minutes of the half Matt McGowan made another two good saves to keep us in the game. Then with only a minute of the half remaining we broke the deadlock, and a cracking goal it was. Jamie Irwin, who had been solid alongside Ryan McGuinn in the centre of the defence, decided to make a run forward. He got past 4 players as he made his way to the bye line where he cut the ball back to ANDRE ANJOS on the edge of the box and he hit a great strike into the top corner.

The 10 men had played really well in the first half and deserved the 1-0 lead but to keep it going as legs tired was going to be a difficult task.

Hamworthy obviously had a good rollicking at half time and came out for the second half with all guns blazing. So did the referee unfortunately, as he suddenly started brandishing yellow cards where in the first half he had controlled the game without them. He had obviously decided he wasn't going to take any more backchat but the Westlands players foolishly ignored the warnings and naively picked up 4 yellow cards for dissent ! They were taking a silly gamble as all 4 players were now only a mistimed tackle away from a red.The home team’s second half pressure finally told and they equalised after 10 minutes of the half and with Westlands momentarily on the back foot they took the lead 5 minutes later. Then Jamie Irwin picked up his second yellow card for a strong tackle and was dismissed ! Things really looked bleak now for the Westlands team who had shot themselves in the foot, losing 2-1 and down to NINE men against an invigorated Hamworthy outfit. But the lads showed some fighting spirit, continuing to pass the ball, and after 5 minutes a great team move ended with JAKE TAILBY slamming the ball into the net to make it 2-2 ! The pressure was on big time now but the lads held out until 15 minutes from time when we went 3-2 behind. To be honest the players could have let the heads go down then but no, in the 80th minute we equalised again ! The ball was worked down the left to JAMIE THOMPSON who cut inside a defender and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner. With the score 3-3 we were under the cosh but we were holding them out and beginning to think about how we were going to cope with 30 minutes extra time when disaster struck. A Hamworthy player tried a speculative shot from 20 yards that keeper Matt McGowan seemed to have covered but somehow the ball slipped under his body and into the net. That was Matt’s only mistake of the day but it proved costly. The Westlands management team of Frank Irwin and Wayne Scott had praised the players after the game, all ten had given their all. This was a cup tie we felt we could have won but the reasons we didn’t were twofold. Firstly the players who couldn’t be bothered to travel let the side down badly. Secondly, the second yellow card which saw us reduced to nine men was a cruel blow and probably decided our fate, but it was self-inflicted as to pick up 4 cards for dissent when you only have 10 men is just stupid.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to RYAN McGUINN who put in an accomplished performance at centre half and kept his team going all afternoon.

Westlands line-up: 1.M.McGowan 2.J.Ryan 3.C.Liddiard 5.J.Irwin 6. R.McGuinn 7.Andre Anjos 8. T.Frampton  9.J.Tailby 10. M.Kamal 11. J.Thompson

Sunday 23rd Oct 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 4 DORCHESTER TOWN  0

After our win last week, this was a good chance to make it two in a row with the visit of bottom of the league side Dorchester Town. With the Under 16s game being postponed it was also an ideal opportunity to give some of them a run out and four were called up to a 15 strong squad. Fifteen year-old Todd Morgan was given a place in the starting line-up at centre half alongside sixteen year old Tom Budden as the manager showed his faith in the younger players. Connor Liddiatt and Louis Martin also returned to the team this week.

The players kicked off with a bitterly cold east wind blowing across the pitch but Westlands soon warmed to the task and were knocking the ball around confidently. The early pressure was from Westlands but the Dorchester defence were coping pretty well and they had a couple of good breaks which kept Westlands keeper Louis Martin on his toes. Nevertheless it looked like only a matter of time before we went ahead and the Dorchester keeper made 3 or 4 great saves to keep the score line blank. In the 30th minute the breakthrough came. A through ball saw Jamie Thompson break into the box on the right side and the keeper came dashing out to try and make the block. With some nifty footwork Jamie managed to steer the ball away from him and delivered a perfect cross into the box where skipper RYAN McGUINN rose highest to head into the empty net. That was the goal we needed and we continued to dominate for the rest of the half with the addition of one more goal. This was a fine strike from another 15 year old MALIK KAMAL who had replaced the injured Jacob Hewitt a few minutes earlier. He picked up the ball on the left side about 18 yards out, turned and struck a low shot into the far corner of the net for a fine goal.

The half-time score of 2-0 was no more than Westlands deserved but the opposition had shown in the first half that they could not be underestimated so the message was to keep up the work rate and keep passing the ball as we had done in the first half.

Two more subs, Jacob Tailby and Lloyd Beard, both under 16s, were introduced at half time which meant we now had all four under 16s on the field. They were keen to show what they could do and a minute after the restart a move involving Jacob, Lloyd and Malik  put us 3-0 up. They ripped through the Dorchester defence with some quick one touch passing and the final shot from JACOB TAILBY was drilled past the keeper into the far corner of the net. What a move that was, and probably the best goal seen at Alvington this season. With the game won Westlands had the opportunity to circulate the subs and give everyone some game time. In the 70th minute we added goal number four. Karl Davis, who had been giving the Dorchester right back a headache throughout the second half got a cross over to CONNOR LIDDIATT who turned and thumped the ball into the net from about 12 yards out. A nice finish and it proved to be the final goal for Westlands, although we kept pressing right to the end. To be fair the Dorchester team never gave up and made us earn our victory.

There were some real bonuses for Westlands today, the young centre half pairing had been remarkably composed all afternoon and scarcely put a foot wrong. All the Under 16s played with exceptional skill and enthusiasm and some of our regulars continued to build on the progress we had made last week with some good passing football. A clean sheet for Sports keeper Louis Martin was very welcome as was the clean sheet in the referee’s notebook (for the first time this season !). All in all, a good afternoon for the Under 18s.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to JAMIE THOMPSON for his quality of passing in the midfield where he and Tommy Frampton dominated the ball. Very often the player who takes the ball and moves it on quickly without fuss is not really noticed in football matches but that is exactly the message we are preaching to the players so Jamie gets the award this week for a quality performance.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2.J.Hewitt 3.K.Davis 4.T.Frampton  5.T.Budden 6.T.Morgan 7.J.Thompson  8.Andre Anjos 9.J.Irwin 10.R.McGuinn 11.C.Liddiard 12.L.Beard 14.J.Tailby 15.M.Kamal 16.J.Ryan.

Sunday 16th Oct 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

DORCHESTER SPORTS 0 WESTLAND SPORTS 2

This was really a match we had to win after a run of three straight defeats and 2 players dropping out on the morning of the match didn’t help our cause. Or did it, as the Westland’s 12 on duty turned in the best performance of the season so far. Our line up included Jacob Hewitt, making his first appearance of the season, and Lloyd Beard, who was promoted from the Under 16s. The pitch was on a slope and with the wind blowing down the hill this could have some effect on the game. The home team won the toss and chose to shoot uphill into the wind so we knew we had to start fast and take advantage in the first half.

We did start well, pressing forward and in the 4th minute Andre Anjos fired a shot over the bar. A few minutes later Ryan McGuinn laid the ball off to Jamie Thompson but he couldn’t keep his shot down either.

In the 14th minute our early dominance paid off with the opening goal. Ryan played a ball over the top to Tom Sullivan who got to the bye line and fired over a cross that ANDRE ANJOS turned in from close range. Westlands were dominating the game now with some nice simple passing not giving the home side a kick. However the wind was playing a part and we were perhaps guilty of being tempted into playing too many longer balls in behind which ran away from us. When we kept the passing short we were much more effective. Nevertheless it looked as if more chances would come our way if we kept the pressure up. Jamie Thompson put another shot over the top before eventually we added a second goal just before half time. A free kick just outside the box was taken by Jamie Thompson and his shot was knocked down by the opposition wall to ANDRE ANJOS who turned and thumped the ball into the back of the net.

A good half by Westlands but with the slope and wind to face we knew we had to keep our short passing going and if we kept our shape we should win this one as the opposition hadn’t shown much so far.

As the second half kicked off Dorchester immediately stuck one of their big defenders up front so their tactic was obviously to go long. However this didn’t materialise as they just couldn’t get hold of the ball with Westlands still dominating possession and looking likely to add to their lead. However, about 10 minutes into the half we almost shot ourselves in the foot when Karl Davis kicked out at an opponent in retaliation and got a straight red card. Jacob Hewitt moved from right to left back, Tom Budden went to right back and Kam Andrews dropped back into centre half beside Jamie Irwin as Sports reshuffled the 10 men. Perhaps it would be backs to the wall stuff now for Westlands but actually we still controlled the game with comparative ease with our short passing particularly effective. Dorchester tried a few long balls but I can only remember Matt McGowan, the Westlands keeper, having to make a couple of fairly easy saves. They had a couple corners that were cleared and that was it. In the meantime Westlands were doing most of the pressing with young Lloyd Beard battling away up front despite getting some rough treatment from the home defenders. Westlands just kept passing the ball to the frustration of the home team and finally they paid for a string of fouls when one of their players received a second yellow and was sent off. Down to 10 a side there was no way back for the home side now. To plug their gap at the back they pulled back their big defender who had pushed on up front, so now the only question remaining was could we add to our lead. Sensibly the team didn’t push too hard, we had the points in the bag and we just played out time very well with possession football.

This had been a much better display from Westlands this week and some of the football played was excellent. Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that 7 of the starting players on Sunday played together in last year’s Under 16s and I think that familiarity helped as we have played like strangers over the last few games. It should also be recognised that the opposition weren’t the greatest and there will be harder tests ahead but it was a promising performance. Also worthy of a mention were our second half central defence partnership of Jamie Irwin and Kam Andrews who strolled through the match and really controlled everything from the back.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to ANDRE ANJOS. There weren’t a lot of clear cut chances in this game but he managed to find the net twice and his two opportunist goals were enough to win us the three points so a worthy winner this week.

Westlands line-up: 1.M.McGowan 2.J.Hewitt 3.K.Davis 4.T.Budden  5.J.Irwin 6.K.Andrews 7.T.Sullivan  8.T.Frampton 9.R.McGuinn 10.J.Thompson 11.A.Andros 12.L.Beard

Sunday 2nd Oct 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 2 HAMWORTHY UTD 4

After last weeks no show, this was a good effort by manager Frank Irwin who managed to put together a squad of 14 for today’s game. I think the fact it was a home game had something to do with that ! Jamie Irwin lined up in the unfamiliar position of centre half as the pack was shuffled again to try and get some cohesion in the team. The opposition were currently bottom of the table with no points from three outings so this looked like a good chance for us to pick up a much needed win.

Ten minutes in and the first action is Westlands, messing up a free kick routine.Then a  corner for Sports in the 17th minute comes to nothing. Not something you see every day, the Hamworthy linesman receiving a caution !

Kameron Andrews then stung the keepers fingers from 25 yards but it's comfortable save !

The ball breaks on the edge of the box but Kam’s strike is poor and well wide.

A corner routine bounces around and Hamworthy clear off the line.

A quick break sees Leighton Thomas's shot blocked! Our best move so far.

However after half an hour Hamworthy get a shot off unchallenged from 25 yards and it dips over Matt McGowan’s head into the roof of the net. 0-1.

Then a lucky break and Ryan McGuinn slips Charlie Berrington through on goal. The keeper saves the 1 v 1 and Ryan fluffs the rebound. Half-time and we turn round one goal down.

In the 55th minute a Westlands corner is swung in and CHARLIE BERRINGTON heads goalwards, the ball  hits the bar and is adjudged to have crossed the line before the keeper collects. The Hamworthy club linesman was flapping his flag like mad but Mr Hughes ignored him and gave the goal. We’re back in the game at 1-1.

Ten minutes later handbags are thrown and Charlie Berrington and a Hamworthy player are shown red.

The ref then shows yellow to Leighton Thomas for bringing down the Hamworthy players good run.

Matt McGowan makes a good save from the free kick and dives again to parry the rebound.

However 4 Hamworthy players wait for the second rebound and one taps in. No Westland players in sight.

Five minutes later, however, we got back on level terms. A good run by Jamie Irwin down the right wing sees his hard low cross smashed into the roof of the net from close range by TOM SULLIVAN.

Hamworthy go back on the attack and they have a free header from a corner but Matt McGowan saves well.

Westlands have given up defending now and Matt McGowan makes another good double save.

A few minutes later another shot is saved by Matt and the follow up is cleared off the line. The chances are mounting for Hamworthy! Then a header from Hamworthy is clawed from the top corner by Matt McGowan who is having a blinder and keeping Sports in the game.

Unfortunately he can do nothing about it as Westland players stand and watch as Hamworthy attack and we are outnumbered as they make it 2-3. Sums up today's performance.

Just before the end we give up again and a Hamworthy forward has the freedom of Alvington to lob home  2-4.

Shocking display today. Lethargic, uninterested and more fines racked up. Poor attitudes abundant.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to Matt McGowan, who made some outstanding saves and kept us in the game for a long time! More than we deserved.

Westlands line-up: 1. M.McGowan 2. T.Budden  3. C.Liddiard  4. L.Thomas  5. T.Frampton 6. J.Irwin 7.J.T.Sullivan  8.K.Andrews 9.C.Berrington 10.R.McGuinn 11.A.Anjos 12.J.Ryan 14. J.Tailby 15.J.Roberts

Sunday 18th Sept 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 2 RINGWOOD TOWN 4

After last weeks heavy defeat we had the chance to turn things round with a home match. Unfortunately five players dropping out over Saturday/Sunday didn’t help as we try to get a settled team together.

Nevertheless Westlands started brightly and within 2 minutes a low shot from Ryan McGuinn forced the  Ringwoo keeper to dive and turn it round the post. In the 10th minute we had a close call when Sports keeper Matt McGowan couldn’t hold a well struck free kick and their centre forward blasted the loose ball over the top from close in. It was a fairly even game at this stage and Westlands were playing some nice football when they got the passing going. After 20 minutes Karl Davis swung a high free kick deep to the far post where Jack Dicker did well to get on the end of it but he could only put his header into the side net. A couple of minutes later a Ringwood player hit a low drive just past the post and In the 24th minute Ringwood went in front. A free kick was lobbed into our box and was allowed to bounce to a Ringwood player who headed in as the Westlands team stood still. A soft goal to concede but we were still doing alright and Ryan McGuinn had a pop at goal from about 30 yards out which missed the target. In the 35th minute Westlands scored what was a deserved equaliser. Fifteen year old Malik Kamal hit a thumping shot from 20 yards that came off the crossbar to RYAN McGUINN who smashed the ball into the roof of the net. For the rest of the half it was fairly even so we went in at half time drawing 1-1 and no reason why we couldn’t go on and win the game in the second period.

The first action of the second half saw Jamie Irwin put a free kick past the post and then Malik Kamal made a good run into the box but blazed his shot over the top. A nice pass from Jamie Irwin then put Jamie Thompson in but his attempt to curl the ball into the far corner was foiled by the Ringwood keeper. The game was poised now but unfortunately it was Westlands who cracked in the 55th minute by conceding another soft goal. A throw in was allowed to bounce into the box (again !) and a Ringwood player stooped to head in unchallenged (the concept of marking opposition players hasn’t really been grasped by the Sports players at the moment). So, at 2-1 down we needed to grit our teeth and get stuck in but what we did was start getting involved with silly arguments with the opposition. Malik Kamal and Jamie Thompson were shown yellow cards and with the concentration gone it was no surprise when we conceded another goal in the 78th minute. Keeper Matt McGowan couldn’t hold a shot from well out and the Ringwood centre forward, all on his own, tapped the ball into the empty net. This time we showed a good response and within two minutes we scored to make it 3-2. A nice passing move saw Jamie Thompson set up RYAN McGUINN in the box and he buried the ball in the far corner to make it game on again. Unfortunately with Westlands pushing on looking for an equaliser we got caught out with a sucker punch. A ball was put in behind our defence and their centre forward ran through on his own and tucked the ball nicely into the far corner to make it 4-2. That was the killer goal and there was no way back for Westlands now with only 7 minutes left on the clock. The game ended with Malik Kamal showing his immaturity by making a stupid comment to the referee after the final whistle had gone and this resulted in his second yellow card followed by a red !

This match was obviously an improvement on last week but we still have some way to go with this team.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to skipper RYAN McGUINN,  his two goals were the high points in a disappointing match. Ryan also gives 100% in every match and there are one or two in the current squad who could learn from his example.

Westlands line-up: 1. M.McGowan 2. T.Budden  3. K.Davis  4. M.Kamai  5. J.Dicker 6. C.Liddiard 7.J.Thompson 8.J.Irwin 9.C.Berrington 10.R.McGuinn 11.T.Sullivan 12.J.Hewitt 14. J.Ryan

Sunday 11th Sept 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

SHAFTESBURY 7 WESTLAND SPORTS 2

After winning our opening league match last week we went to Shaftesbury with only 13 players which included two keepers as three players had called off on Saturday night.

The game started with even possession for both teams. In 10 minutes Shaftesbury had the first chance when their player got his head to a cross and Louis Martin had to get down well to make the save. Two minutes later we had a corner and the ball fell to Ryan McGuinn but he blasted it over the top. Then Charlie Berrington hit a free kick on target but their keeper got down to push it for a corner. In 25 minutes the ball came out to Leighton Thomas and with his back to goal he attempted an overhead kick which almost came off, the ball hitting the crossbar. Ten minutes later Jamie Thompson cut inside from the left and once again his shot came off the crossbar ! Then disaster struck with only 2 minutes to go until half time. A Shaftesbury player was left unmarked 20 yards out and he let fly with a shot that took a slight deflection and finished up in the corner of the net. Westlands switched off now and a minute later found themselves 2-0 down when their player got up highest to a corner and planted a header in the top corner.

What a disaster the first half had been as we had looked quite good until we lost concentration at the death and were punished twice. At half-time both the subs came on, Matt McGowan replaced Louis Martin and Jamie Irwin replaced Jacob Roberts.

Five minutes into the second half Shaftesbury had a free kick which evaded everyone and ended up in the bottom corner. Things were going from bad to worse for Westlands and in the 55th minute we were 4-0 down. Another free kick was conceded just outside the box and their player hit a good shot that gave keeper Matt McGowan no chance. That was two free kicks conceded in our own half and two goals conceded ! In the 65th minute we managed to pull a goal back. A high ball was headed on by Kam Andrews, JAMIE THOMPSON ran on to it and beat the keeper with a good finish.

Unbelievably we than got caught out by a sucker punch for the second time in the match, Ryan McGuinn lost the ball in our own half and a Shaftesbury player ran through to score. By this time we were all over the place making defensive mistakes galore. A miss-kick at the back let their player in to make it 5-1 and more silliness was to follow when Jamie Thompson moaned to the referee about the goal, got a yellow, gave him more abuse and got another yellow meaning he was off ! We continued in the same vein for the next 20 minutes, conceding another two goals from defensive errors until 5 minutes from the end when LEIGHTON THOMAS ran past his defender and hit a lovely shot into the corner of the net.

That made the final score a 7-2 defeat which is really not what we expect from this group of players.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to LEIGHTON THOMAS for his hard work which culminated in a good goal.

Westlands line-up: 1.L.Martin 2. J.Roberts 3. K.Davis 4. H.Panayides 5. T.Budden 6. K.Andrews 7.L. Thomas 8.J.Smeeton 9.C.Berrington 10.R.McGuinn 11.J.Thompson 12.J.Irwin 14. M.McGowan.

Sunday 4th Sept 2016, Dorset League Youth Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 2  PARLEY SPORTS  1

The first league match of the season saw the Under 18s take on Parley Sports in what promised to be an exciting encounter as Parley are always a good side. As for the Westlends line up, our 13 included 4 of last season’s regulars plus 7 of the U16s from last season and a couple of new faces.

The first half was something and nothing really with both teams tending to cancel each other out. Westlands looked a bit at sixes and sevens and didn’t seem too comfortable with the shape. Parley looked slightly better organised but they couldn’t really string much together either so not much goalmouth action. We made a few half chances and if anything Parley looked more likely to score but Westlands keeper Matt McGowan looked sharp and he dealt confidently with everything that came his way. A late cross-shot from Parley did come off the Westlands crossbar just before the break and that was the nearest attempt of the half. A goal-less draw at half time was about right but we needed to up the ante in the second half if we wanted to get a result from this game. Jamie Irwin and Jamie Thompson were introduced at the break to try to add a bit of guile to the Westlands attack but it was more of the same with players taking too many touches and giving the ball away. Leighton Thomas then got himself a yellow for kneeling down to tie his laces in front of the ball when a player was about to take a free kick. This was the second time he had done this so he was duly booked !

At last, in the 70th minute we made the breakthrough and it came from the penalty spot. A long cross field ball was played out to Jamie Thompson and as he tried to control it, he was bundled over by the Parley keeper who had charged out from his goal. JAMIE IRWIN slammed the ball into the top corner to make it 1-0 to Westlands. Unfortunately we were unable to consolidate our lead as within four minutes of scoring from the spot we conceded a penalty ourselves ! Jack Dicker slid into a tackle inside our box and although he took the ball he clattered the Parley player first. Jamie Irwin then picked up a yellow for futile protests and Matt McGowan had no chance with the kick which was buried in the corner.  Game on now and really at this stage it could go either way. But only three minutes after conceding we took the lead again and it was a special goal that did it. LEIGHTON THOMAS picked the ball up on the halfway line and out on the right flank. He got his head down and set off for goal leaving the Parley defenders trailing in his wake. As he cut in and almost reached the bye line I was expecting a cutback but Leighton just smashed the ball into the far corner to the astonishment of the Parley keeper and the delight of the Westlands players. Mr Hughes, the referee, then took the gloss off the moment by showing Jack Dicker a yellow for over celebrating ! It was a goal worthy of winning the match and as I have indicated it was a tight game and perhaps it was going to take a bit of individual skill to win it. As the minutes ticked away Charlie Berrington was also yellow carded for pushing a player away who had blatently almost pulled his jersey off his back right in front of the two benches. Yellow for Charlie and a free kick to Westlands was the referees interpretation of the incident ! As we entered the final moments Parley threw everyone forward and forced three corners which were well defended by Westlands but nevertheless we were glad to hear the final whistle.

So, not a great performance but we battled hard and ground out the three points in the end.  Its always good to win even although you haven’t played at your best and we know there is still a lot of improvement to come from this Westlands team.

The Man of the Match award this week goes to Westland’s keeper MATT McGOWAN who stood up well to some Parley pressure in the first half and didn’t really put a foot wrongall afternoon.

Westlands line-up: 1.M.McGowan 2. J.Roberts 3. T.Budden 4.J.Dicker 5. H.Panayides 6. K.Andrews 7.L. Thomas 8.J.Smeeton 9.C.Berrington 10.R.McGuinn 11.A.Anjos 12.J.Irwin 14. J.Thompson.

UNDER 16 TEAM

Sunday 7th May 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WEYMOUTH COUGARS 2  WESTLAND SPORTS 2 (AET) (Weymouth win 5-3 on penalties)

A lovely day down at Bournemouth with the sun shining but the pitch was poor, hard and bumpy with not much grass cover. A pity really as this was a top class surface in years gone by and now there is no doubt it would affect the quality of play.

The timeline from the twitter feed has all the details so I have used this as the basis for the match report.

First minute and two of our players clash heads. Both recover thankfully.

Lewis Lightfoot breaks through but his shot is blocked. From the corner we head over!

A nice move down the right sees Lewis cutting in and shooting narrowly over.

Not a great game ! Scrappy, neither side can keep the ball and it's in the air a lot. Need to settle and play !

We fail to clear a ball into the box and it falls to the Weymouth skipper. He lobs it into the net with their first chance. One nil down

A free kick from the corner of the box results in a scramble but we can't force it home.

A free kick from 30 yards but it's straight at their keeper.

A corner from the left. MALIK KAMAL rises well to head goalwards, there's a scramble it's cleared off the line but the Lino is flagging for a goal  It's 1-1. Ball had crossed the line apparently.

Then Lewis plays in Sam Fuller, he lobs the keeper but the defender clears of the line with a spectacular overhead kick. Unfortunately no flag from lino this time, although it must have been close.

Half time 1-1. We can be better !

Westlands are soon back on the attack.

A good cross in from Ed Jones, and a lovely volleyed back heel from Lloyd Beard but it hits the post !

Then Weymouth mount a fast attack. A lovely pass to the back post. A unselfish pass back across goal and its knocked in from six yards. We're behind again at 2-1.

But not for long as Westlands strike back. A free kick into the box falls to SAM FULLER. He turns and finishes from 12 yards. 2-2.

Somehow we manage to not score in a hectic goalmouth scramble from a corner.

Lewis skips past two men and shoots towards the bottom corner but the keeper tips it round the post.

From the corner, Coby Salter crosses, Todd Morgan heads and it hits a defender on the line.

The keeper pulls off another stunning save from a Lloyd Beard flick.

We've started to exert pressure since the second equaliser. It's all in the Weymouth half currently.

Lloyd runs onto a ball knocks it past the keeper but it hits the post again.

A great challenge from a Weymouth defender prevents us getting in a shot!

And that's that. Extra time it is. We've had enough chances. Let's hope we don't end up regretting it.

The ball falls to Paul Johnson on the edge of the box but it's high!

The keeper comes out and denies the onrushing Lewis.

It's a great corner but no one attacks it and the defender puts it behind.

Lloyd runs into a long ball from Coby and is bundled over. Penalty !

Surely now we will go in front for the first time ?  No, Sam Fuller drags the penalty wide.

Not going our way in front of goal. We've had more than enough chances.

Weymouth whip the ball in and Jacob Tailby somehow gets it away.

Half time in extra time.

Malik sends Lewis away down the right but his cross shot goes past the far post

A free kick from Jacob is met with a bullet header from Malik but again it beats the far post.

Same combo from a another free kick but this time it's not a great header.

Malik beats his man down the left and squares the Lloyd. He takes a touch composes himself and blazes over. Can't believe it, normally clinical in front of goal.

It's not our day.

Jack Hirst goes in for a 50/50 and the ref surprises everyone by producing a red card. Looks a harsh decision.

Full time. It's penalties.

If we don't win this we've only got ourselves to blame.

Weymouth first and its in. Hamish Amor gets fingertips to it.

Lewis first for us and he scores. The ball loops in. 1-1

Weymouth score again, 2-1. Hard and high into the net.

It's Lloyd next and he sends the keeper the wrong way. 2-2.

Weymouth's next one is straight down the middle but Hamish had dived. 3-2

Jake's up next and he gets lucky as the keeper gets good hands to his kick but it creeps in. 3-3

Weymouth bang in number 4. It's a very good penalty. Hamish does well to get fingers to it. 4-3

Malik next. Not a great pen and the keeper saves. 4-3. If they score the next one they've won.

He sends Hamish the wrong way and Weymouth win 5-3 on pens.

Congratulations to Weymouth Cougars.

We should have won but poor finishing has cost us dearly

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LEWIS LIGHTFOOT. He caused the Weymouth defence problems all afternoon and could have had a couple of goals himself with a bit of luck.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 12.E.Jones  14. Paul Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Wednesday 26th April 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WEYMOUTH COUGARS 2  WESTLAND SPORTS 2

The Under 16s ended their league programme away to Weymouth Cougars and a final score of 2-2 meant Westlands clinched runners-up spot in the league. A fantastic season being undefeated in the league but unfortunately 5 drawn matches meant we were pipped to the title by Dorchester Town. The game against Weymouth  should have been in the bag with Sports leading 2-0 (goals from MALIK KAMAL and SAM FULLER) but we then conceded twice in injury time to share the points.This was disappointing as they were long range efforts but it just shows you have to keep the concentration right to the end.

The Regis afoods Man-of-the-Match award goes to STANLEY WALDRON for another tireless performance in the midfield. An unsung hero that every good team needs in the engine room.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 14. Paul Johnson15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Sunday 23rd April 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

LONGFLEET  1  WESTLAND SPORTS  9

Westlands thrashed their opponents at Poole High School in a rather one sided match. The goals were shared around with TODD MORGAN, STANLEY WALDRON, MALIK KAMAL, LLOYD BEARD, COBY SALTER, and  ED JONES all getting on the scoresheet while LEWIS LIGHTFOOT took star billing with a hat-trick.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LEWIS LIGHTFOOT for an excellent hat-trick.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 12.E.Jones 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Sunday 9th April 2017,  Dorset Youth League Cup, Semi-Final

WESTLAND SPORTS  2  BRIDPORT  0

A glorious afternoon at Alvington Lane for the cup semi-final as the teams took the field.

For the first ten minutes Westlands were pressing forward but Bridport were always dangerous on the break and Hamish Amor pulled off a couple of smart saves to keep them out. From the second they had a corner that their big defender met with his head and hit the bar. Close shave that one, but it was all Westlands and in the 12th minute Dan Ewens seemed to have the goal at his mercy but the Bridport keeper pulled off a great save from point blank range. A couple of minutes later Malik Kamal drove to the line and cut the ball across to Lewis Lightfoot who blazed wide from 10 yards. Then Lewis had a strong run down the right and he pulled the ball back to Sam Fuller whose shot was saved. In the 17th minute Bridport created a chance but the shot was over the bar. The next action was a tremendous melee in the Bridport goalmouth with several attempts blocked and scrambled away. Back down at the other end the visitors had a free header which went inches past the post. The final good chance of the half fell to Lloyd Beard whose shot flew past the post.

How we had got to half time goal-less is a mystery, probably due to a combination of poor finishing and some last-ditch defending. Nevertheless Westlands had the lion’s share of the play so the feeling was that, if we kept up the pressure, a goal must come.

Coby Salter came on for Sports out on the left and immediately he fired over two good crosses without reward. We were tormenting Bridport down both flanks now and Lewis Lightfoot had a shot cleared off the line. Then Sam Fuller cut in from the left and unleashed a thumping shot that the keeper fumbled but eventually saved. Ten minutes into the half an almighty scramble in the Bridport goalmouth was eventually cleared and in the next attack a shot was kicked off the line. In the 50th minute a Bridport forward fired a shot just past the post to remind us they were still in the game. At last, a minute later, Westlands broke the deadlock. Malik Kamal beat a couple of defenders with a good run into the box. He got to the bye line and cut the ball back to JACOB TAILBY who was on the spot to sidefoot in an easy finish.

A loud cheer (of relief !) greeted the opening goal and as often happens, once you score one a second soon follows. Number two came in the 55th minute when DAN EWENS curled a lovely free kick into the top corner of the net with his left foot to give us that valuable two goal cushion. Bridport had nothing to lose now and pushed an extra man forward to try to get back in the game. They forced a corner and Hamish Amor had to make a good save to keep them out. In a game of cat and mouse Westlands now went to a back four and sensibly kept the shape tight going into the last ten minutes. But we were still attacking and in the 75th minute Jacob Tailby fired a shot over the top and just before the end a long range Coby Salter shot deceived the keeper and came off the crossbar.

The final whistle brought the inevitable result as Westlands had been on top for most of the game and thoroughly deserved their victory. It had been a tactical battle from the off with Bridport defending in numbers and trying to hit Westlands with fast breaks. Sports had numerous chances to go in front but they kept patient and eventually the breakthrough came. A very enjoyable match very well refereed by Bev Horley who stepped in at virtually the last minute and did a great job.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to MALIK KAMAL for an excellent display in Westland’s midfield. Malik was very influential in most of the attacking moves and set up that crucial opening goal with a great run and pass.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 12.E.Jones 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Sunday 19th March 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS  4  LONGFLEET  0

A few players missing today but it didn't really make any difference as we have a strong squad no matter who is picked. It was very windy on the open expanse of the Terrace but at least it was dry and, as usual, the pitch was in excellent condition.

Westlands were facing the strong wind in the first half, and although we dominated possession, we were finding it hard to breakdown a stuffy Longfleet side who were getting men behind the ball quickly. If we did breach their defence their keeper was in good form and he pulled off a few excellent saves. Eventually, however, after 30 minutes the pressure told and a nice passing build up by Westlands was finished clinically by SAM FULLER to put us one up.

It stayed that way until half time and although we only held a slim lead, Longfleet hadn't really looked like scoring in the first half so with the wind advantage in the second half the omens looked good for Sports.

When JAKE TAILBY put us 2-0 up about 5 minutes into the half the writing was on the wall for the visitors although they kept their shape and continued to make things difficult for us. Midway through the half we made it 3-0. Malik Kamal got on the end of a corner and his strong header was stuck away by STANLEY WALDRON. Westlands managed one more goal before the end and a cracking goal it was, JAKE TAILBY thumping in a left foot drive from the edge of the box.

That wrapped up a good 4-0 victory for Westlands to maintain our unbeaten record in the league.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to PAUL JOHNSON for an all-action display in midfield. His workrate was outstanding and he never the opposition any time on the ball with his constant harrying and closing down. Add to that good passing and distribution and it all adds up to an outstanding performance.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill

Sunday 12th March 2017,  Somerset Youth Shield, Quarter-Final

HUTTON JUNIORS  8  WESTLAND SPORTS  6

We were looking forward to a good County Cup quarter-final but were disappointed with the pitch at Hutton, which was the worst I have seen for a long time. Ankle deep cloying mud, bumpy and uneven, it really is a shame that young players are asked to play on pitches like this in this day and age. Anyway, it’s the same for both teams…….. etc, so we just had to get on with it.

Westlands totally dominated the early exchanges and had a chance in the 3rd minute when a quick free kick by Malik Kamal was headed just wide by Sam Fuller. Three minutes later a nice pass by Stan Waldron gave Lloyd Beard a sight of goal but the keeper saved his shot. Although dominating proceedings at this stage, Westlands were finding it difficult to string many passes together. The normal short passing game was getting bogged down in the mud and the opposition had time to get men back and crowd the edge of their box. In the 13th minute Hutton gave us a shock when they scored with virtually their first attack. A long ball out of defence put their left winger away and as a Westlands defender tried to cover he cut inside the tackle onto his right foot and curled a lovely shot into the far corner. A more direct approach from the home side had paid dividends and perhaps showed the way to beat the conditions. The game developed into a familiar pattern now with Westlands attacking with a slower, more methodical build up and the home side breaking fast with balls over the top to eager front runners. It was a fascinating duel and Westlands came close when Stan Waldron hit a great shot just over the top. In the 28th minute we got the equaliser we deserved. Coby Salter swung over a deep corner that was headed back across goal and LEWIS LIGHTFOOT drove a low shot into the back of the net. We were back in the game but we fell asleep in those vulnerable moments when you have just scored and immediately conceded. It was a simple ball over the top and their attacker ran through on the right and slotted in an easy goal. So, after all the hard work to equalise we found ourselves 2-1 down but we didn’t stay behind for long. Three minutes to be exact before MALIK KAMAL turned a couple of defenders inside out on the edge of the box and fired a low shot into the corner to tie things up at 2-2. Unfortunately once again we were unable to consolidate and in the 36th minute Hutton scored again. A simple ball over our defence put their player clean through and he calmly lobbed the ball over Hamish Amor as the Sports keeper advanced from his goal.

That ended the action for the first half and that late flurry of goals had left us trailing 3-2 but we were well in the game and with more goals almost certain, it would be a fascinating second half.

We made the worst possible start to the half when Hutton scored straight away. A nice pass put their left

winger in possession in a dangerous area and he beat a defender before squaring the ball across goal for his team mate to thump it into the net from close range. That made it 4-2 and put us two goals down for the first time in the match and for a moment it looked as if the match may be slipping away from us as we couldn’t seem to contain the Hutton attack. Nevertheless the Westlands players dug deep and at last began to get the ball into the box early and in doing so discovered that the home defence were not at all comfortable with this tactic. In the 47th minute Jake Tailby pumped a high cross into the Hutton box. The keeper flapped at it, collided with his own defender, and COBY SALTER stepped in to thump the ball into the back of the net. Back to 4-3 and it was game on again but only three minutes later we conceded another terrible goal. A long throw in was hurled into our box and was headed over Hamish Amor’s head into the far corner by one of our own defender’s ! Poor stuff, and it put us two goals behind again at 5-3. Coby Salter was having a great half for Westlands down the left wing, Hutton just couldn’t cope with his pace and determination and it was Coby who dragged us back into the game with a great run and cross which LEWIS LIGHTFOOT headed in at the far post in the 60th minute. Back to 5-4 and Westlands were really going for it now, piling on the pressure. Lloyd Beard had a good shot saved by the keeper and we had the ball in the net when a Coby Salter corner was headed in but the ref disallowed it for a foul on the keeper. Just as we thought the equaliser must come, guess what, Hutton scored again. A cross shot from out on the left found the far corner and it was worrying how easily these goals were going in. Back to two goals behind again at 6-4 and a mountain to climb now but the Westland players did not give up and went back on the front foot piling forward into the Hutton half. In the 75th minute another ball into the Hutton box caused chaos and the ball broke to LLOYD BEARD who smashed it into the roof of the net to make it 6-5 ! Then came the dramatic finale with Westlands finally equalising in the dying minutes. A corner came over and a Dan Ewens header seemed to be heading for the corner of the net when BILLY WINTERSGILL helped it in with a little back flick. Great joy from the Westlands players as they had battled hard and thoroughly deserved the equaliser which made it an incredible final score of 6-6.

The extra time was a bit of an anti-climax compared to what we had witnessed before and an early Hutton goal definitely took the wind from our sails. Nobody attacked a corner kick and one of their tall defenders had a free header and powered it into the net. Sports still tried hard and Malik Kamal had a good shot which went just wide but the effort of coming three times from two goals down had taken a lot out of our players and with the home team happy now to waste time and run the clock down it was an uphill battle. The final nail in our coffin came with the eighth goal and it came as a result of a ball played into our box for a Hutton attacker to chase. I don’t quite know what happened but as Hamish Amor came out to try and collect he seemed to collide with two of his team mates and they all fell in a heap leaving the Hutton attacker to plant the ball in the empty net. That was game over, at 8-6 there was no way back for Westlands now and the final whistle ended an incredible game which will live long in the memory.

The Westlands players can be proud of their performance as can the Hutton team as both sides served up a thrilling cup tie on a dreadful surface. Two good sides on show here but just not our day today so good luck to Hutton in the semi-final.

The Regis Foods Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to COBY SALTER for an outstanding performance down the left wing in the second half. His pure guts and determination to get past his opponents were an inspiration to his team mates and he scored one and set up a couple as well so a great display by Coby.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Sunday 5th March 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS  4  HAMPTON MATRAVERS  0

There was a strong wind blowing down the pitch from end to end which could have an effect on the game, but, as usual, the pitch was in perfect condition despite the heavy overnight rain..

Westlands were shooting with the wind in the first half and were soon pushing into the Hampton Matravers half. Ed Jones made a good break down the left and passed inside to Lewis Lightfoot whose shot was saved. A couple of minutes later Lewis took the ball round the keeper who had charged out of his goal, but the final ball across goal was cleared. After 5 minutes a good run from Sam Fuller saw the ball put out for a corner. That one was cleared for a second corner which was put behind the goal. After 20 minutes of constant pressure we eventually made the breakthrough when JAKE TAILBY turned his man inside the box and thumped a left foot drive into the far corner. Hopefully this goal would be the first of many but it was not to be, as chance after chance was squandered. In 26 minutes Lloyd Beard blasted over from about 3 yards out and a minute later Jake Tailby blasted a free kick way over the top. It was noticeable that whenever Westlands put the ball in the air, whether from corners or free kicks, we conceded possession every time. When we kept the ball on the ground we were causing the opposition problems so perhaps a new approach is required for these set pieces. In the 38th minute the visitors had their first attempt at goal with a shot that went over the crossbar.

Our half-time 1-0 lead was scant reward for the amount of pressure we had enjoyed but the chances had been there, we just hadn’t taken them and with the wind against us in the second half perhaps we would rue these misses.

The second half started with torrential rain now blowing in our faces but it didn’t seem to worry the Westlands team who just kept patiently playing short passes and trying to open up a packed visitor’s defence. Lewis Lightfoot had now moved to his more natural position out on the right and he was causing havoc, beating his man time and time again and delivering crosses into the box. Unfortunately the finishing was poor and chance after chance went begging. The rain was so heavy now it was impossible to take notes so the culprits for these misses are not named and shamed although a Billy Wintersgill header that he put past the post when it seemed easier to score springs to mind. Although Lewis was giving us some width on the right to great effect we had nobody out on the left doing likewise so a lot of attacks ended up running into traffic on the edge of the box. Even with the tornado at their backs the opposition were hardly ever in our half and I can’t remember our keeper Hamish Amor having a save to make. Nevertheless we needed that second goal and with time pushing on we were beginning to think perhaps we will have to settle for 1-0. With 5 minutes to go a sigh of relief from the Westlands supporters when we scored that all important second goal. Lewis Lightfoot crossed and LLOYD BEARD leapt to head past the keeper into the net. A minute later we completed the 1-2 when a Lewis Lightfoot pass put SAM FULLER through and he calmly side footed the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 3-0. With the opposition’s heads down we completed the scoring in the last minute when Lewis Lightfoot set up JAKE TAILBY to drill the ball into the net.

It had been a bit edgy for a time but in the end we won fairly easily and thoroughly deserved the victory. The application of the Westland players in the second half when facing that wind and rain was excellent and they reaped the rewards in the end.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LEWIS LIGHTFOOT who set up the three second half goals and provided a stream of good balls into the box.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Sunday 25th February 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

CORFE MULLEN  0  WESTLAND SPORTS  5

Having beaten the opposition heavily earlier in the season we were expecting a win here but it would be made more difficult by a strong wind and a pitch that was cutting up.

Sports were dominant in the first half and three goals from MALIK KAMAL(3) and two for SAM FULLER(2) saw us take a 5-0 lead into half time. A bit more determination from the home team, plus the wind, and Westlands getting a bit sloppy added up to a goal-less second half and so the final result was 5-0 to Sports. Another good win that sees us consolidate our position at the top of the league.

Man of the match goes to MALIK KAMAL for a class performance topped by a hat-trick.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 16.M.Kamal 17.Billy Wintersgill

12th February 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

STURMINSTER NEWTON 1 WESTLAND SPORTS 6

Due to half-term holidays we were a bit short this week and travelled with the bare 11 players but on arrival discovered Sturminster Newton only had 10 ! Under similar circumstances a month back we had given their 10 men a heavy defeat on the Terraces but with only 11 ourselves this time and on their ground we couldn't take anything for granted.

And so it proved in the first half with the home team getting men behind the ball and defending doggedly. We had numerous corners but failed to make anything from them but the one goal we did score was a real beauty. Jake Tailby played a long diagonal ball from right to left which took out the full back and fell perfectly for DAN EWENS who took it in his stride and drove the ball past the keeper into the far corner of the net. That was all we had to show for all the first half pressure but the second half would probably be easier as tiredness set in to bodies and minds.

Westlands turned the screw in the second half by pushing 3 up front and our hosts capitulated under the pressure. Further goals were added by  TODD MORGAN, BEN GILLETT, LEWIS LIGHTFOOT, JACOB TAILBY and LLOYD BEARD making the final tally six. Sturminster did spoil Hamish Amor's clean sheet in the second half to grab a consolation goal.

Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to DAN EWENS who moved forward to a more attacking role this week and fully justified the selection with an excellent display. Apart from that super opening goal he had a couple of efforts that hit the woodwork and a couple of assists in the second half so a real man of the match performance.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 12.E.Jones 16.M.Kamal 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot

Sunday 5th February 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 5  BRIDPORT 3

Recent results have made every match a ‘must win’ now so we needed a positive result against Bridport. We got off to a good start and made our first chance in the 4th minute when Coby Salter made ground down the left and fired off a shot which the Bridport keeper blocked. The rebound fell to Lloyd Beard whose snap shot went past the post. A few minutes later Malik Kamal had a shot deflected for a corner as Sports continued to press. In the 18th minute Bridport had a real let off when a Lloyd Beard shot from a corner was cleared off the line. It looked like a goal was coming from Westlands and in the 21st minute we broke the deadlock. COBY SALTER raced onto a long ball, took a couple of steps and from at least 25 yards out smashed the ball into the top corner of the net. A special goal that gave the keeper no chance. Westlands were looking dominant now and in the 28th minute we made it 2-0 with a route one goal. A huge punt from keeper Hamish Amor dropped deep into the Bridport half where LLOYD BEARD gave chase. Lloyd battled for the ball with two Bridport defenders, won possession, and turned and drove a low shot into the bottom corner. Another cracking goal, but we were almost made to pay in those vulnerable moments when you have just scored. A Bridport player was put through on goal but luckily Hamish Amor was still alert and he dived to block the shot. Bridport rallied a bit after this and the remaining 10 minutes of the half were played out with no real goalmouth incident.

A nice 2-0 half time lead and as the opposition hadn’t caused us too many problems we felt fairly confident for the second half.

The second period started perfectly for us when we scored after only three minutes. Lloyd Beard fought his way to the byeline and cut the ball back to JAKE TAILBY who swivelled and shot low into the far corner. At three nil the game looked over and as Sports piled on the pressure it looked as if more goals were coming. Several corners were pumped into the visitor’s box but we were unable to get on the end of them. When we did get a couple of attempts on target the keeper pulled off a good save and one came off the bar. On the hour mark Bridport pulled one back on the break. Some casual defending let the Bridport number 16 (their best player) away down the left and he fired over a lovely cross which his team mate met on the run to bullet in a fine header at the near post. Just a moment of sloppiness which was punished clinically. A couple of minutes later another good save by the Bridport keeper prevented us from extending our lead but in the 65th minute we had another warning when another cross from their left winger was headed just past the post. In the 70th minute Lloyd Beard put a shot over the bar when well placed but a couple of minutes later we had the wind taken out our sails when Bridport scored again to make it 3-2 !  Their winger got away again down the left and another driven cross was volleyed in from close range. There were two problems here, first was we weren’t doubling up on their left winger to stop the crosses coming in and secondly we were not dealing with the crosses when they did come over. Nevertheless, we were still creating chances and Sam Fuller should really have scored when put clean through in the 73rd minute but the keeper blocked his shot. Then, a minute later, Malik Kamal got his head to a corner but his effort came back off the bar and was cleared. Finally, in the 78th minute, we extended our lead to two again. A free kick as played in to the edge of the box where it was knocked down to MALIK KAMAL and he scored with a good reverse shot into the corner. With time running out Bridport attacked and Hamish Amor got down well to turn a shot round the post. The corner was slung deep to the far post where once again a Bridport player headed in unchallenged. Once again nobody attacking these crosses. Back to 4-3 and we were now anxiously looking at our watches as we were past the 80 minute mark, Finally, in the 82nd minute MALIK KAMAL secured the points with a wonderful solo effort. He drifted past a couple of defenders, drew the keeper and somehow got past him as well and whacked the ball into the empty net. The final whistle followed soon after and we were a bit relieved to have secured the points with a 5-3 victory.

The win was what we wanted so well done to the lads for a hard fought victory. A few lessons to be learned from the game no doubt but a good three points none the less and we move on to next week.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LLOYD BEARD who gave the Bridport defence a torrid time all afternoon and got on the score sheet with a good goal.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard

Sunday 29th January 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

POOLE TOWN WESSEX 2 WESTLAND SPORTS 2

The pitch at Upton Rec was decreed playable by the referee but was described as ‘treacherous’ so we knew it would make our task a bit tougher. Also our opponents, looking for revenge from last week’s heavy defeat, had drafted in some “star” players who normally play in their Under 18s but all perfectly legal so we just had to roll up our sleeves and get on with it.

Faced with these challenges Westlands reacted well and midway through the first half took the lead when SAM FULLER notched his 22nd goal of the season. Unfortunately, just as the referee was about to blow for half time they equalised so it was 1-1 at the break.

In the second half things took a turn for the worse when Poole took the lead but from that moment on Westlands  dominated the game putting the home team under severe pressure.  This paid off when MALIK KAMAL scored the equaliser but their goalkeeper was having a blinder and when he didn’t make the save the post (twice !) came to his rescue. Try as they might Sports just couldn’t get that winning goal and in the end had to settle for a point. Two points dropped really but under the circumstances a good display by the Westlands lads. As far as the opposition are concerned let’s hope they will have the decency to put out this team in future games just to make it an even playing field !

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to PAUL JOHNSON for an outstanding midfield performance. Excellent work rate, accurate passing and hard into the tackle, top class !

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 7.J.Tailby 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 22nd January 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 9  POOLE TOWN WESSEX 2

For the second week in a row the opposition turned up with only 10 men so that was disappointing but again we gave our goal difference a boost. With the challenge not really there Sports stuttered to a 3-0 half time lead mainly due to the heroics of the visiting keeper who was in great form. However Westlands turned the screw in the second half although the loss of two goals was a bit sloppy. On target this week for Westlands were LEWIS LIGHTFOOT (3), SAM FULLER (3), DAN EWENS, JAKE TAILBY and STANLEY WALDRON.

We were helped a bit by a couple of penalty awards which Sam and Jake converted but once again it was job done without really being pushed.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LEWIS LIGHTFOOT. As well as bagging a hat-trick Lewis put in a great shift down the right and ran the opposition ragged.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett  12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 17.B.Wintersgill 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 15th January 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 10 STURMINSTER NEWTON 0

The opposition arrived with only 10 men so not the challenge we wanted but Westlands showed no mercy and gave their goal difference a boost as well as taking the three points. JACOB TAILBY (2), SAM FULLER (2), MALIK KAMAL (2), DAN EWENS, BILLY WINTERSGILL and LLOYD BEARD were on target for Sports.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to BILLY WINTERSGILL who has done a great job wherever the manager has played him this season. For this match he was out wide on the left and an excellent performance plus a good goal wins him the accolade.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 8th January 2017,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 3  DORCHESTER TOWN RAIDERS 3

Our opponents were top of the league but we had drawn 3-3 at their place on the opening day of the season so we were hoping for a win on our home ground to cement our league challenge.

Unfortunately Westlands didn’t perform well in the first half and looked surprisingly out of touch. The usual zip wasn’t there and the quick passing was replaced by some aimless long balls at times. As had been obvious in the first game, Dorchester had a very quick lad up front and once again we were finding him a handful.

Half-time came and we found ourselves 1-0 down, but being optimistic, we knew we could play a lot better than we had so there was everything to play for in the second half.

After some soul searching at half-time Westlands found some renewed spirit in the second half and LLOYD BEARD got us back in the game with a good goal. Unfortunately, Dorchester’s front man was still causing us problems and before long we found ourselves a goal behind again. Back came Westlands and JAKE TAILBY levelled the scores and then LEWIS LIGHTFOOT put us in front for the first time at 3-2. Surely Sports would go on and take the points now ? Well, not quite, as just before the end a Dorchester player hit a trundling shot from about 20 yards out which somehow squirmed under Hamish Amor’s body and rolled into the net. That was the final action and the points were shared which from our point of view was 2 points dropped.

The Westland players’ performance was below what we know they are capable of so we now need to make sure the attitude is spot on every week for the remainder of the season if we are to finish the top under 16 side in the two counties.   

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to STANLEY WALDRON who showed great energy and a touch of quality.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 10.B.Gillett 11. W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 11th December 2016,  Dorset FA Youth Cup, Rnd 3

WESTLAND SPORTS 3  POOLE TOWN  5

The third round of the Dorset FA Youth Cup is when all the top teams (ourselves included) come in so there are no easy ties and with Poole Town the visitors we knew it would be tough. Selection wise, it was a bit of a blow to be missing Lloyd Beard as he provides a physical presence up front so Malik Kamal was pushed forward to partner Sam Fuller.

For the first 20 minutes Westlands looked the more likely side with most of the action taking place in the visitor’s half. However we needed to score during this period while they were finding their feet but we were unable to do so and paid the penalty when Poole opened the scoring in the 23rd minute. From what was probably their first corner of the game their #5 got up highest to head a simple goal. I don’t think we had defenders on the posts as there seemed to be a big gap there. Anyway, this goal settled Poole and they began to show that they were a good side with some very good players. I thought the little #4 was a danger man and he seemed to be given far too much space in the 35th minute when he played a lovely ball through through the Westlands defence for his centre forward to chase. Although he was under pressure from 2 Sports defenders the lad battled his way through and as Hamish Amor came out he squeezed the ball under him into the net. A very well taken goal and at this point things didn’t look great for Westlands. However, they didn’t give up and in the 35th minute we were back in the game. Malik Kamal did really well to fight off their #5 and square the ball to SAM FULLER who hit a low shot into the net.

That was just what we needed and to go into the break 2-1 down gave us hope for the second half.

Sports came out fighting and were soon on level terms. A deep corner to the far post was headed back across goal by Todd Morgan and STANLEY WALDRON headed in to make it 2-2. Unfortunately, only 3 minutes after drawing level, we conceded again. A bit of a scrappy goal to lose, the ball seemed to be bouncing around, it wasn’t cleared and a Poole player tried his luck from 18 yards and the ball finished in the back of the net. Bit of a blow that one and with heads dropping a little we let in a fourth goal in the 70th minute. The ball was played into our penalty area and, as the Westlands defenders stood and waited, their player nipped in and stuck the ball in the back of the net. Westlands had nothing to lose now and reacted well, pushing forward into the attack. Some good passing between Ben Gillett and Lewis Lightfoot ended with a perfect cross picking out Jake Tailby 2 yards out. Jake somehow managed to smash the ball off the crossbar when it looked easier to score. We wondered then if it was not our day, but the team kept battling and when DAN EWENS slotted in a free kick from the edge of the box, it was game on again ! With 10 minutes left there was still a chance for Westlands but Poole were determined to hold on to their slender lead and were not averse to committing cynical fouls if a Westlands player looked like getting through. Then in the very last minute, a Poole player, about 40 yards out and out on the right touchline, belted the ball goalwards. The ball went high into the sky and then dropped just inside the far post over the head of back-pedalling Westlands keeper Hamish Amor.

That was that, a 5-3 scoreline that probably flattered the winners a bit, but there was no getting away from the fact they were a good side with some excellent players so we can have no complaints. Perhaps not our best performance but a great battle nevertheless.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to DAN EWENS who looked very composed at the back, used the ball well and topped off his day with an excellent goal.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 27th November 2016,  Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 5 WEYMOUTH COUGARS 2

This looked like the sternest test so far for the team with the visit of previously unbeaten Weymouth Cougars to the Terrace. With the wind behind in the first half, Westlands were soon attacking and forced an early corner but Lloyd Beard’s shot was saved. Weymouth had a couple of quick attacks and looked dangerous when they went forward and after only 5 minutes they took the lead. Another quick break saw the ball played out to their left winger who fired a good shot high into the far corner. An early shock but the Westlands players didn’t panic and were soon pressing the visitors back looking for a quick reply. And it came in the 8th minute when Jake Tailby played a lovely ball inside the fullback and LEWIS LIGHTFOOT ran on to it and drilled a low shot into the far corner. Sports began to take control of the midfield now, with Jake Tailby, Malik Kamal and Stanley Waldron dominating so Weymouth were not getting any service up to their dangerous front players. Dan Ewens headed just wide from a corner before eventually, in the 20th minute, we took the lead. A cross was headed on to JAKE TAILBY at the far post and he smashed the ball into the net to make it 2-1. Westlands continued to press for the rest of the half and would have liked a third goal to put some daylight between the two sides but the opposition keeper was proving hard to beat. Our best chance came in the 30th minute when Lloyd Beard burst through the opposition defence but his lob cleared the keeper and the goal.

After going one down early on it was nice to turn round with our noses in front but there was just the lingering feeling that we should have scored that 3rd goal when we were on top.

With the wind behind them and no doubt fired up by their manager, Weymouth pushed forward from the kick-off but were almost punished by a quick break by Westlands. Malik Kamal split the Cougar’s defence with a perfect pass to Lloyd Beard who raced through and went round the keeper but his shot from an angle drifted agonisingly just wide of the far post. A warning for the visitors but they continued to push men forward looking for an equaliser. A free kick from Weymouth saw one of their players miss an open goal in a 50th minute let off for Westlands but 2 minutes later we responded with that crucial 3rd goal. George Weston cut inside the full back who stuck out a leg and brought him down for a certain penalty. SAM FULLER took the spot kick and saw his shot hit the keepers legs and rebound off the inside of the post before finally ending up in the back of the net. Weymouth heads dropped for a moment and Sports cashed in with a fourth goal in the 55th minute. A deep corner from Jake Tailby was headed back across goal by Sam Fuller and MALIK KAMAL rose unchallenged at the far post to head in. Weymouth had nothing to lose now and pushed men forward while Westlands sensibly got men behind the ball resulting in a bit of a stalemate which saw the game drifting to it’s inevitable conclusion until 3 minutes from the end when it all went a bit crazy. First a Westlands defender dived into a tackle in the box and conceded a penalty which Weymouth tucked away in the corner to make the score 4-2. A minute later a long ball by Jack Hirst put SAM FULLER clear down the right. He cut inside the keeper and 2 defenders who were desperately trying to cover, and planted the ball in the back of the net to restore our 3 goal lead at 5-2. There was still time for more drama as, once again, a Westlands defender dived into a tackle in the box and conceded another penalty. This time Hamish Amor dived to parry the shot and then saved the second attempt from the rebound for a fine double save.

That was the end of the action and the final score of 5-2 was definitely about right as Westlands had been the better team throughout. An excellent display that was rated by manager Darren Tailby as “possibly the best we have played this season”. One note of caution was the two penalties we conceded in the last three minutes of the match, could be costly under different circumstances, but it takes nothing away from a fine team performance.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to JACK HIRST. Weymouth had a very fast strong forward who looked dangerous but Jack never gave him an inch and never missed a tackle. Good defending is a key part of the game and is often overlooked when the accolades are handed out so a well deserved award for Jack.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 11.W.Boucher 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.K.Malik 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 20th November 2016,  Dorset Youth League Cup, Section A

DORCHESTER TOWN MAGPIES 0 WESTLAND SPORTS 8

Division 2 side Magpies were no match for a strong Westlands team who outplayed them from start to finish. The goals came from WILL BOUCHER (2), LLOYD BEARD (2) with singles for TODD MORGSN, JAKE TAILBY, STANLEY WALDRON and MALIK KAMAL. 

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to STANLEY WALDRON whose workrate and energy in the centre of midfield is a big part of both attack and defence and Dorchester just couldn't handle him today.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6.J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard.

Sunday 13th November 2016, Dorset Youth League, Div.1

HAMPTON MATRAVERS 3 WESTLAND SPORTS 5

Westlands were able to rotate the squad a bit today as we had previously beaten Hampton Matravers 8-0 in the League Cup. The pitch at Turlin Moor was small and bumpy so it was not ideal for passing football and didn't really suit our team. Nevertheless we coped well enough and won fairly easily in the end although the scoreline was quite close. SAM FULLER (3) led the way with a hat-trick for Sports and MALIK KAMAL and LEWIS LIGHTFOOT had one each to make up the final total.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to JACOB TAILBY who provides both strength and quality of passing in the midfield and both these assets were in evidence today.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 7.J.Tailby 9.S.Fuller 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 6th November 2016, Somerset Youth Shield, Rnd 2

WESTLAND SPORTS 13 MARTOCK UTD 0

The county cup had thrown up a tie against some local opposition who play in the Yeovil & District Youth League. They are doing quite well this season, currently lying second in the table, so we were expecting a tough game. Another lovely afternoon on the Terrace but a real nip in the air warned us that winter was here.

Martock looked a bit apprehensive as the teams kicked off and this allowed Westlands to push forward straight away and put them under pressure. It paid off as we scored in the second minute of the game ! The ball was played out to Coby Salter who fired over an early cross that was headed in by LLOYD BEARD. Martock were struggling defensively as Sports continued to press forward. Jacob Tailby fired a shot just wide and a Dan Ewens header glanced the post before, in the 7th minute, we made it 2-0. Sam Fuller showed lovely control to gather a through ball and he laid it back into the path of LLOYD BEARD who drove it hard and low into the back of the net. A couple of minutes later a lovely through ball dissected the Westland’s defence and put a Martock player clear but he screwed his shot well wide of the target. A goal then may have made things interesting and Martock were made to rue their miss when Sports scored a minute later to open up a three goal lead. Jacob Tailby set up LLOYD BEARD and he thumped the ball into the back of the net to complete an extraordinary hat-trick within 10 minutes of the kick off. Our opponent’s heads were down now and it was almost constant Westlands pressure as hailstones swept the Terraces. In the 15th minute DAN EWENS ventured forward to head in a cross making it 4-0. There was no respite for the visitors and it was soon 5-0 when LLOYD BEARD netted a rebound after their keeper had made a good save. With 25 minutes played DAN EWENS went up for a corner and rose highest to head in goal number 6. Then JAKE TAILBY smashed one in from 18 yards before SAM FULLER wrapped up the scoring for the first half by cracking one in from outside the penalty area.

Well, not a lot to say when you are 8-0 up at half time but a couple of targets were set for the second half. Firstly we felt too many long passes were being attempted when there was an easy short option so we were looking for some improvement there. Secondly we wanted to preserve that clean sheet as it’s a good habit to get into.

Martock were under instructions to get more men behind the ball in the second half and this worked for a while as they held out until the 50th minute before we managed to score again. LLOYD BEARD burst through the defence and thumped the ball into the net. Westlands were playing well now with some nice passing and movement and the pressure told when Martock conceded a penalty in the 55th minute. SAM FULLER tucked the kick into the corner and that was double figures at 10-0. Lloyd Beard was then subbed so now the goals were being shared around. BILLY WINTERSGILL got his name on the score sheet with a shot that took a wicked deflection then MALIK KAMAL showed some good footwork to skip through the opposition defence and tuck the ball in the far corner. Finally, in the 75th minute, JAKE TAILBY took a free kick 20 yards out and smashed the ball into the top corner to make the final score an impressive 13-0.

Another very good performance this week and an impressive record of 29 goals for and none against in only 2 games ! OK the opposition wasn’t that great and there will be stiffer tests to come but it’s an impressive statistic under any circumstances. Finally, a mention to our first team captain Will Ireland who stood in as coach for the day and did an excellent job.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to LLOYD BEARD.  Plenty of candidates this week but its hard to overlook the claims of a player who scores 5 goals in a game. Some clinical finishing from Lloyd and he probably could have had more had he not been taken off for a spell !

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9.S.Fuller 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.K.Malik 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 30th October 2016, Dorset Youth League, Div.1

WESTLAND SPORTS 16 CORFE MULLEN 0

This looked like a good chance for Westlands to pick up our first league win, playing basement side Corfe Mullen at home. It was a beautiful day on the Terrace and the perfect setting for football.

Sports got hold of the ball straight away and were pressing forward with Sam Fuller hitting the post within a couple of minutes of the start. In the 5th minute Coby Salter got up to head in but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for a push, and rightly so. A couple of minutes later Lloyd Beard blazed over the top and then Sam Fuller was clean through but made a mess of his finish. 15 minutes gone and the Corfe keeper made a good save from Lloyd Beard, the first of many good saves he was to make in the course of the game. Then a defence splitting pass by Sam Fuller put Lloyd through on goal but he dragged his shot wide. In the 20th minute Coby Salter hit a good shot on target, again well saved by the keeper. A minute later Todd Morgan headed a corner kick onto the bar before, at last, in the 22nd minute we broke the deadlock. A corner kick came into the box and was laid back to LLOYD BEARD on the edge of the box and he drove a low hard shot through a crowd of players into the bottom corner to make it 1-0. There was no doubt a goal was long overdue but the Westlands players had shown good patience, continuing to pass and move, and they got their reward in the end.

A minute later it was 2-0 as the floodgates opened. DAN EWENS made a great run from the back and, when he was slipped in by Sam Fuller, stroked the ball past the keeper into the back of the net for a cool finish. It was developing into a procession now and in the 27th min SAM FULLER converted a Coby Salter cross after an intricate passing move had opened up the visitor’s defence. On the half hour mark STAN WALDRON got his reward for a strong display in midfield with a good header to convert a Lewis Lightfoot cross. That made the score 4-0 and 2 minutes later it was 5 with a nice sidefoot finish from SAM FULLER. With 35 minutes gone another Lewis Lightfoot cross was headed in by LLOYD BEARD to make it 6-0 and 2 minutes later a shot from Stan Waldron was well saved by the Corfe keeper but SAM FULLER was following up to score. Finally LEWIS LIGHTFOOT wrapped up the scoring for the first half when he ran through unchallenged to tuck away goal number 8.

Could the Corfe Mullen manager rally his side to stem the tide in the second half ? No was the answer as only one minute into the half SAM FULLER blasted the ball into the top corner to make it 9-0 and take his personal tally to four for the day. Soon it was 10-0 when PAUL JOHNSON neatly chipped the ball over the keeper and

11-0 when LEWIS LIGHTFOOT was put through and sidefooted the ball into the corner of the net. Around the hour mark LLOYD BEARD charged through the now almost non-existant Corfe defence to smash in number 12 and BILLY WINTERSGILL followed suit with a clinical finish into the corner to make it 13-0. BEN GILLETT then got his name on the scoresheet when his shot was deflected into the corner for number 14. It was all too easy now and LLOYD BEARD barged through to score to take his total to four and the final coup de grace was provided by BILLY WINTERSGILL who ran through and slotted the ball into the net for the final goal of the afternoon. That made it 16-0 and ended a clinical display by the Westlands team who had played some good football to entertain the spectators in what was a rather one-sided contest.

Final word of praise goes to the Corfe Mullen lads who made a fight of it for a while but were over-run in the end. Their keeper had a cracking game even though he let in 16 goals, without him it could have been worse !

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to PAUL JOHNSON.  Westlands played a lot of good passing football in the match and Paul was at the heart of most of it, particularly in the first half when we were working hard looking to make the breakthrough. He never gave the ball away and was definitely the “oil in the engine” for Westlands.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 8.S.Waldron 9. S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 16th October 2016, Dorset Youth League Cup, Section A

POOLE TOWN WESSEX ROVERS 0  WESTLAND SPORTS 7

Our second league cup section match of the season and Westlands followed up their 8-0 win over Hampton Mattravers in the first game with an emphatic win at Poole. In appalling weather with the rain pouring down Sports were never really tested and shared the goals out with  GEORGE WESTON, STANLEY WALDRON, SAM FULLER, PAUL JOHNSON, MALIK KAMAL and LEWIS LIGHTFOOT (2)  all getting on the scoresheet.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to BILLY WINTERSGILL who marked Poole's best player and, in the words of manager Darren Tailby, "had him in his pocket all afternoon".

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 7. J.Tailby 8.S.Waldron 9. S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 14.P.Johnson 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 25th September 2016, Dorset Youth League, U16 Div.1.

BRIDPORT 1  WESTLAND SPORTS 1

Back on league duty today at Bridport and having drawn our first match at Dorchester we were looking for our first win. The pitch was not great, long and very narrow which did not really suit our style of play. However the sun was out as we kicked off so we were looking forward to a good game.

Westlands pressed forwad early on but is was soon evident the home side were getting lots of men back behind the ball, and with the pitch being so narrow it meant the edge of the box was very congested and we were having difficulty finding a way through. Bridport had a lad up front who was quite quick and their ploy was to get the ball well downfield for him to chase. This he did a couple of times and we had to be on our toes to clear the danger. Eventually, after a few chances had been missed we broke the deadlock with the opening goal in the 35th minute. Dan Ewens slung over a deep corner from the left beyond the far post and centre half TODD MORGAN rose to head the ball back across the keeper into the far corner of the net. A good goal and hopefully we could now press home our advantage. Unfortunately it was not to be but we turned round at half time with a 1-0 lead so we could be pleased with things so far.

As the second half started we looked a little sluggish and allowed Bridport to put us under a bit of pressure and this culminated in the equalising goal. The pitch was so narrow that throw ins could be thrown right into the goalmouth and it was from one of these throws they scored 5 minutes into the half. The ball was launched into the box, and a Westlands player glanced a header into his own net. Not a great goal to lose but it spurred Sports back to life and they dominated the rest of the game apart from the odd breakaway. We piled on the pressure and Lloyd Beard seemed to have the goal at his mercy but he prodded his shot past the post when it seemed easier to score. A few minutes later Lloyd managed to wriggle clear of his marker but this time his shot from point blank range was blocked by the keeper who was having a good game and keeping his team in it at this stage. Then with 5 minutes to go we thought we had won the game when a free kick was dropped by their keeper and Lloyd Beard stuck the rebound in the net. Our celebrations were cut short by the club linesman’s raised flag, and the referee ruled the goal offside. The referee admitted he hadn’t seen anything untoward but that he had to go by the linesman’s decision. Mmm...no comment. That was the last good chance and the referee’s whistle ended another disappointing day for Westlands with 2 points dropped really. However we had enough chances to win the game and on another day they will go in so we will take the positives from the game.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to JACK HIRST who concentrated well and put in a big effort for 80 minutes. One minor blip when he dived into a silly tackle and picked up a yellow card, but generally he didn’t try to be too clever and put in a solid performance.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 8.S.Waldron 9. S.Fuller 10.B.Gillett 11.W.Boucher 12.E.Jones 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 11th August 2016, Dorset Youth League Cup, Section A

WESTLAND SPORTS 8  HAMPTON MATRAVERS 0

The first fixture of the League Cup competition saw us entertain Hampton Matravers at the Terrace.

We were disappointed to only draw our first league match at Dorchester last week so we were looking to get off the mark in our first home match of the season.

Westlands looked more settled than last week and took control early on, creating plenty of chances. Then the visitors had a little spell of pressure with two corners and a free kick allowing them to get the ball in our box.  However Westlands were soon back on the front foot and in the 14th minute the pressure was rewarded with the first goal when a Lewis Lightfoot cross was turned into his own net by a defender for an OWN GOAL. The goals then flowed for the remainder of the half. In 17 minutes a ball over the top put LLOYD BEARD clear bearing down on goal. The Hampton keeper rushed out and missed the ball leaving Lloyd to walk it into the empty net. In the 20th minute we won a penalty when Coby Salter was barged over. SAM FULLER stepped up and stroked the ball into the corner to make it 3-0 to Westlands. Only 4 minutes later it was 4-0 with a really well worked passing move which built up from the back down the left side until SAM FULLER drilled a great finish across the keeper into the far corner. Hampton were flagging now and in the 35th minute MALIK KAMAL smashed a shot from 25yards past the keeper to make it 5-0 at half-time.

A great first half from Westlands who had played some really good football and deserved their lead.

There was no let up in the second half with Westlands quickly adding to their lead with a 6th goal. LEWIS LIGHTFOOT was rewarded with a goal following some fantastic work up and down the right wing. On the hour mark Hamish Amor made a great save to deny the visitor’s a consolation and maintain his clean sheet. In the 67th minute we made it 7-0 with another fine goal. A 30 yard drilled pass from Lewis Lightfoot cleared the opposition defence and picked out SAM FULLER who controlled the ball nicely and drilled it into the far corner. The final goal of the game was another cracker and took Sports tally to 8. JACOB TAILBY picked the ball up about 25 yards out and rifled the ball into the net past a startled Hampton keeper.

The opposition tried hard throughout with some strong tackling, but Westlands were always the stronger, more accomplished side, and they took their chances well with some clinical finishing.

The Man-of-the-Match award this week goes to SAM FULLER who scored an excellent hat-trick, all three goals were  finished with great composure which is the hallmark of a good striker.

Westlands squad: 1.H.Amor 2.T.Morgan 3.G.Weston 5.D.Ewens 6. J.Hirst 7.J.Tailby 9. S.Fuller 11.W.Boucher 14.P.Johnson 15.C.Salter 16.M.Kamal 17.B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard 19.L.Lightfoot.

Sunday 4th August 2016, Dorset Youth League, U16 Div.1.

DORCHESTER SPORTS 3 WESTLAND SPORTS 3

The U16’s first game in the Dorset Youth League saw them travel to Dorchester to take on Dorchester Raiders. The game started on quite an even keel with both sides pressing.  Westland were unfortunate not to take the lead when Benji Gillett was tackled heavily outside the box earning a free kick, but Ed Jones’ kick unfortunately sailed over the cross bar. It was Dorchester, whoever, who went in front midway through the first half when their striker ran through a big hole in the Westlands defence and slotted home. 

In reply, Sports quickly won a corner which fell to Jacob Tailby, but he blazed over. Then a nice passing move saw Malik Kamal put a through ball to Lloyd Beard but his shot clipped the post and went wide.

Westland continued to attack and a wonderful 50 yard pass from Malik  found COBY SALTER in space and he buried the ball in the back of the net with his left foot from 18yards. Shortly after, a quick break and good interplay between Jacob Tailby and LLOYD BEARD saw Lloyd round the keeper and  neatly place the ball in the bottom corner to make the score  2-1 to Westlands at half time. A deserved lead after playing some good football.

In the second half Westlands didn't take long to increase their lead and it was COBY SALTER who scored direct from a corner to take the score to 3-1.   Dorchester always looked dangerous on the break and despite a fantastic finger tip save from keeper Hamish Amor, Dorchester capitalised from the resulting corner although Hamish appeared to be fouled. The final few minutes of the game saw Dorchester throw everything at the game and they were rewarded with the equaliser in the final minutes.

Not the start to the season we were hoping for following last season's success, but one the players need to build on to make sure they are title challengers this year.

The Man-of-the match award had several contenders and was a difficult choice but the chairman picked MALIK KAMAL as he showed that bit of quality in the midfield and was always likely to open up the opposition defence.

Westlands line-up: 1.H.Amor, 2.T.Morgan, 3.G.Weston, 6.J.Hirst, 7.J.Tailby, 8.S.Waldron, 10.B.Gillett, 11.W.Boucher, 12.E.Jones, 14.P.Johnson, 15.C.Salter, 16. M.Kamal 17. B.Wintersgill 18.L.Beard.