Second place Westside visited The Rivermoor with both teams needing a win. Victory for Woodley would help their relegation battle while success for Westside would seem them still have an outside chance of the league title while Woodley.
The visitors’ kicked-off but it was the hosts who struck first through Jude Van Spall only four minutes into the match. Under pressure from Ty Moorcroft, Westside centre back Ryan Coltress cleared the ball to Woodley’s left wing where Dylan Clark ran onto it and beat a defender before putting a low cross into the goal area which Van Spall steered into the net.
United proceeded to play the ball quickly to utilise the pace of wingers Clark and George Day and forward Ty Moorcroft but were frustrated by Westside goalkeeper Seb Hunt who was quick to read danger and played much of the first half as a sweeper clearing the ball on the edge of his penalty aera.
The twenty first minute saw Moorcroft outpace the defence only for Hunt to block the Woodley player’s attempted lob just inside his penalty area with the ball falling to Coltress to clear.
Zachary Johnson-Read thought he had levelled the scores two minutes from a corner kick but the ball was deemed to have gone out and back into play before Read shot at goal.
Moorcroft and Clark again combined their play only for the latter to be denied by Hunt, in what proved to be a timely block with his side going on to score two goals in seven minutes. Callum Reeves found space to turn and cross to the far post where Kieran Campbell lost his marker and score from close range in the twenty sixth minute.
This was followed by Reeves showing good skill to get the better of right back Mo Adam and shot past Jake Simpson into the far corner of the goal.
Van Spall had an opportunity to equalise but was robbed of the ball as he prepared shoot and shouts for a penalty following a challenge on Moorcroft were brushed aside in the fortieth minute.
The second half started in a positive manner for United. Clark saw his low free kick go narrowly wide of the goal two minutes after the restart, Ousman Darboe thought he had been fouled for another penalty while Hunt was again alert to deny Moorcroft following a pass from Van Spall.
With United unable to make an early breakthrough and Westside happy to defend their lead, the game stagnated in the middle of the pitch with neither side creating goal chances. As the game moved towards the ninety minute mark and eight minutes added time, the match became feisty with Woodley attempting to get the ball forward quickly and the visitors taking every opportunity to slow the game.
The closest United came to levelling was in fifth minute of stoppage time when Hunt spilled Clark’s free kick from the edge of the penalty area and with no Woodley player reacting the ball was cleared for a corner kick that Hunt successfully saved the resulting shot.
No points for Woodley but again a performance that gives heart for the remainder of the season.
Simpson, Adam, Leahy (Alozie), Creech (Holliday), Maylen, Davis (Wint), Day, Darboe, Moorcroft, J Van Spall (Agbotey), D Clark Sub not used Podgorski