West End Grind Out Win Over Millers Arms

With the appointed referee nowhere to be seen Jez Ashberry took over the whistle for the game and his team-mates made the better start to the game; Jack McDonnell and Jamie Lawrence combining well down the left to create a couple of chances for the latter. Some resolute defending from the centre half pairing Jay Dann and Rich Brown, plus competent goalkeeping from Liam Tonks kept out Millers Arms until ten minutes before half time when a Rory Delap-esque long throw made it all the way to the centre of the goal where it was nodded home from close range to leave West End once again trailing at half-time.

An injury to striker Sam McDonnell forced West End to switch to a 4-3-3 which brought instant rewards. A cross from the left was hooked clear, but only as far as Glen Wilson. The stand in skipper controlled the ball and from thirty yards out struck a once in a lifetime half-volley that dipped in time to find the top corner of the Millers goal. Buoyed by this unlikely equaliser West End began to assert themselves on the match and went ahead midway through the half; Lawrence cut in from the right flank and evaded a couple of hefty challenges before slotting the ball beneath the Millers keeper. Within five minutes of his first goal Lawrence doubled his tally and West End’s advantage as he made it 3-1, latching onto a through ball and outmuscling his marker on the edge of the box to finishing smartly.

The home side set up a frantic end to the game when they pulled a goal back with just under quarter of an hour to go; a corner from the Millers’ left caused rare panic in the West End goalmouth and after one shot came back off the post the ball was scrambled over the line to make it 3-2. Millers threw everything at the West End goal as the match wore down, but still the Beers’ back-line and keeper held firm. In a hectic final five minutes Dan Hill, Dave Capps and Sam Boothman were all unable to find a fourth goal on the counter attack, but West End dug in to secure an encouraging 3-2 win.

Team (4-4-2); Liam Tonks; Martin Robertson, Rich Brown, Jay Dann, Stephen Pearce; Dave Capps, Joe Harper, Glen Wilson, Jack McDonnell; Sam McDonnell (Sam Boothman), Jamie Lawrence (Dan Hill)
Man of the Match: Jay Dann (4.5 votes), Glen Wilson, Liam Tonks (2), Jamie Lawrence, Stephen Pearce, Joe Harper, Glen’s goal (1), Rich Brown (0.5)
Dick of the Day: Stephen Pearce (4 votes) Joe Harper (3), Rich Brown, Dan Hill, Liam Tonks, Glen Wilson, the referee who didn’t show up, Chris Morgan (1)