Saturday 19th August 2006 – Polymac Services Midland Football Alliance

Westfields 3 Rocester 0

Romans boss Damian Grocott was furious after a sloppy defensive performance handed three goals and three points to Westfields.

“We shot ourselves in the foot, we cannot afford to give teams a two-goal start like that and hope to get away with it.” He said afterwards.

His complaints were justified after a series of unforced errors presented Westfields with an easy victory in a game played throughout in driving rain.

Striker Mark Davis was the first to benefit when he received Mark Hibbard’s 14th minute cross on the edge of the Rocester area. Completely unmarked and unchallenged, Davis had the time and space to open the scoring at the third attempt after Paul Wood had somehow kept out his first two efforts with brilliant saves.

There was little to choose between the sides until Rocester began to look the more dangerous late in the half.

Marc Hubbard’s burst down the left almost led to an equaliser when his low cross slipped from goalkeeper Jon Pugh’s grasp, however neither Adam Baum nor Mark Ruddock could get a good connection on the ball.

Hubbard again caused problems down the left five minutes before the break with a shot on the run, which was just off target.

Then just moments later Pugh saved superbly from Baum as he made a run into the box, the ball broke for Nick Ward who looked certain to score until two Westfields defenders converged on him and managed to steer the ball to safety.

Having almost got back on level terms Rocester immediately handed their opponents a second goal. Chris Rowley, helping out at the back, inexplicably passed the ball to Davis who was once again completely unchallenged and able to curl the ball past Wood from 18 yards.

The game was all over in the 63rd minute when the unlucky Wood mis-cued a clearance and Matt Morris fired it straight back past the goalkeeper from 25 yards out.

Line-ups:

Westfields: Pugh; Price; Hill; Hunt; Winstone; Morris (Cuss 70); Day; Hibbard; Jefferson (Burton 82); Davis (Craddock 70); Beale. Subs not used: Hollingshead; Jinks.

Rocester: Wood; Heaney (Gadsby 65); Allen; W.Johnson; Ward; Brown; Millward; Rowley; Ruddock (Esplin 59); Baum; Hubbard (Caswell 70). Subs not used: P.Johnson; P.Ede.

Referee: Mr. A. Fielding (Shrewsbury)

Attendance: 71