Westies exact revenge over cup conquerors

Allan McMinigal scored for the third consecutive game in Westfield's 3-1 win at home to Worthing Town on Saturday.

The Westies won 3-1 at home to Worthing Town in Macron Store Southern Combination Football League Division Two on Saturday, avenging an extra-time defeat against the same opponents in a Sussex Intermediate Challenge Cup second round tie earlier in the month.

Westfield manager Jack Stapley said: “It was a good win, fully deserved as well and probably could’ve been more than it was. It was a decent performance and it’s a stepping stone in the right direction.

“We played some decent stuff and the performances are improving massively. We had quite a few people missing, but we’ve got the squad to back it up.”

The home side opened the scoring when Josh Carey latched on to a throughball from Allan McMinigal and showed a cool head to slot past the goalkeeper for his third goal in two games.

Carey came agonisingly close to another soon afterwards. The forward went through and lobbed the goalkeeper only to see the ball bounce up and hit the crossbar.

Worthing equalised five minutes before half time. Tom Slater fired a 35-yard free kick into the top corner, although Westfield goalkeeper Connor Holland felt he might have saved it.

With Carey getting on the end of lots of balls into the channels, Westfield kicked on in the second half and really froze their opponents out.

They retook the lead when Asher Grindle broke down the right amid a suspicion of offside and his centre was missed by Carey but McMinigal fired home across the goalkeeper at the far post - his third goal in as many matches.

Westfield extended their advantage as 17-year-old Josh Barrett, who had a fantastic game, played a lovely throughball for Grindle to slot through the goalkeeper’s legs for his first goal of the season.

Worthing finished the match with 10 men after one of their players picked up two yellow cards in quick succession.

Westfield, for whom Ashley O’Prey enjoyed a solid debut at left-back, had plenty of other chances and twice struck the crossbar.

Westfield: Holland; Gravett, Winter, Ramsay, O’Prey; McGurk, Barrett, McMinigal (Stoyanov), Adams; Carey (Hurst), Grindle.

The Westies will travel to leaders Roffey this coming Saturday, a fortnight on from their last gasp 4-3 defeat against the same opponents in the Division Two Challenge Cup.

Stapley said: “We’ve shown we can more than match them. It will be fresh in the players’ minds and we will have a plan for them. We will definitely go there with a few more options and a chance of getting something out of the game.”

Westfield are seven places and eight points behind a Roffey side which has won eight and drawn one of its 11 league games so far.

Stapley is available after suspension, and Shane Fox and Ben Phipps should return. Stapley is hoping to complete the signings of goalkeeper Gavin Bourne and attacking player Tommy Buckley this week.