TOOLSTATION LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION: Westbury United 1 Oldland Abbotonians 3 (From This Is Wiltshire)

TOOLSTATION LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION: Westbury United 1 Oldland Abbotonians 3

4:21pm Wednesday 10th February 2010 in

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When the previous match between these sides was abandoned in November, Westbury were leading 3-1 and looking good for maximum points.

However, in the rematch Oldland showed their attacking instincts to extend their unbeaten run to 15 matches, while United will be regretting missing a host of chances.

On a frosty evening the visitors opened the scoring with the first chance on ten minutes : Matt Huxley looked offside but was allowed to carry on and brought a fine save out of Nick Evans, however the ball rebounded to Rob Dunphy and he smashed it into the goal.

Huxley would later have a goal disallowed for offside after Dunphy had set him up.

In between those Abbots’ attacks the half was dominated by Westbury, who played some great football but somehow failed to equalise.

Nick Ridout sent a free header wide from Luke Smith’s corner, Rhys Schell showed good skill only to see his fine strike rebound off a post, Dan Kovacs had a 20 yarder saved by Jeff Hook, Matty Smith volleyed wide after good play by Kovacs, Wayne Wheeler cut in from the left and had a curling effort deflected wide, Matty Smith set up Schell but Hook saved his weak attempt, then Hook saved again just before the break when he denied Kovacs who had headed a Wheeler cross.

The second half was much more of an end to end affair : Simon Dew set up Dunphy but home keeper Nick Evans parried his powerful shot.

As United still searched vainly for an equaliser Matty Smith and Matt Sharp combined to set up Schell but he headed straight at Hook.

Then a few minutes later he missed the target again from Sayeed Ibrahim’s long throw.

Another Ibrahim throw in found Kovacs but he was also wayward.

Having kept their lead intact the visitors went close to doubling their advantage when Will Gregory played the ball to Huxley, who struck it over from just outside the box.

Westbury counter attacked with Wheeler blasting the ball narrowly wide at the end of the move.

The levelling goal finally arrived on 71 minutes when skipper Dan Dominy sent a long ball up-field which was flicked on by Matty Smith to Schell, who hit it across the face of goal and in off Hook’s right hand post.

Having been so involved in many of United’s best moments, Smith was at fault as the scores only stayed level for a few minutes.

He was robbed by Mitch Tippins near the halfway line and the ball was played to Gregory and then Huxley who ran into the box before finishing his 23rd goal of the season with ease.

Westbury needed to take risks to get another equaliser and they had a number of attacks which went to waste as crosses found Oldland defenders rather than United attackers and, with time running out, Gregory broke forward and rounded the advancing Evans only to see his goal-bound shot blocked on the line by Sharp However, Dunphy was on hand to put the ball into the net to complete the scoring.

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