United's hopes go West!

For fifty minutes this was an even match that saw both sides exchange goals in three mid-first half minutes but once Westside retook the lead United never looked as if they could equalise for a second time.

To overcome the challenges of the M25 closure between j10 and j11, the visitors travelled by train and taxi to and from The Rivermoor via Clapham Junction station for only the fourth match to be played on the pitch this calendar year.

The visitors kicked off in what was a cagey opening to the match. The opening quarter hour saw Alex Donville show good skill but his resultant shot blocked while Ornildo Shehu shot weakly from the edge of the penalty area allowing Seb Hunt to make a comfortable save.

Westside thought they should have been awarded a penalty in the seventeenth minute when the impressive Ezekiel Coker, who was a threat to the home defence the whole game, fell following a challenge from Kasper Hok only for play to continue, but they were awarded a spot kick seven minutes later. Adam Maadini made a challenge for a loose ball with the referee adjudging that Maadini’s arm made contact as he cleared the ball. Coker the kick low inside Ryan Hudson’s left right hand post with the keeper narrowly failing to make contact with the ball.

The visitors almost immediately doubled their lead when on a counter attack from a Woodley throw in, Tevon Webster fired over the hosts’ cross bar with only Hudson to beat.

Westsides’ lead was short lived. Shehu passed to James East midway in the visitors’ half, who in turn passed to Donville on the left wing. The winger ran into the penalty area and withstood two challenge to pass the ball to Shehu to take a touch to control the ball before shooting pass the right side of Hunt two minutes after the opening score.

A three man move involving Tafari Downes, Shehu and Donville saw Hunt save from the latter. Four minutes later Shehu passed to Manny Adu-Essah whose low cross found Downes only for the striker to put his shot wide of the far post. Hunt also denied Adu-Essah when one on one late in the half.

United started the second half as they ended the first with Donville and Shehu linking up with Adu-Essah who again saw Hunt block his shot two minutes into the half. Seven minutes later Westside retook the lead. Alex Foord’s cross was headed back to an unmarked Adrian Francisco who had time to control the ball and strike it pass Hudson from twelve yards.

Following the goal Westside looked to get the ball forward into the Woodley half as quickly as possible that saw the hosts struggle to put pressure on Hunt’s goal and it was not until the twenty fifth minute that two quick corner kicks were won by Donville and then Shehu without reward for the home team.

Two minutes after Westside’s second goal, Hudson made a fine full length save for a corner kick.

The final and important goal came in the seventy seventh minute. A Westfield corner was defended but the ball found its way to the corner kicker Foord who’s cross to the far post saw Curran outjump Hudson to head the ball into the net.

Four minutes later Coker hit the post and from the rebound Alex Lever shot over the bar with what proved to be the last clear cut chance of the game. The closest Woodley came to scoring a consolation was in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Kasper Hok off balance, narrowly failed to connect with Shehu’s free kick ten yards from goal.