FALMOUTH TOWN 0-0 WESTBURY UNITED
Falmouth Town this time managed to avoid conceding any last-minute goals to notch up a well-earned point against fellow Southern League side, Westbury United, their visitors from Wiltshire, in front a smaller than normal crowd of 260 on this cold and clear night in April.
Falmouth went with the same starting line-up that contested Saturday’s game against Melksham, with captain Tom Annear again on the bench. However, they were able to name Jack Webber amongst the subs as he returned from his hamstring injury.
Falmouth started well and only had to wait 5 minutes before creating their first chance. A promising move down the left ended in a clever ball from Bradley Leivers into Rubin Wilson. With his back to goal he turned his defender and unleashed a cross/shot but could only hit Luke Barner who was lurking in the 6 yard box. The pace of the ball meant that Barner could not sort his feet out and the Westbury defence cleared their lines.
As was the case during their last encounter two Saturdays earlier it was an even first half an hour with no further opportunities for either side. Westbury were looking more dangerous going forward but the wind was deceptive, making it difficult for Falmouth to play higher up the pitch. Westbury left winger Bevan Cross was looking very lively and was forcing some excellent defending from the much-improved Freddie Walter, who would not allow him to provide any end-product. Similarly, Charlie Wooding in central midfield looked a talented player, being combative but also able to find the telling passes when required.
The half finished at 0-0 but ultimately it was a scrappy affair and the fans were not served up anything to get too excited about.
The challenge now was with Falmouth to make the most of the wind advantage and to put together a more intense second-half performance. As it worked out, the half was again even and disjointed with particularly Falmouth struggling to string some passes together. Falmouth created a half-chance after 10 minutes when a powerful header from a corner found Luke Brabyn positioned in front of Westbury keeper Rob Brown, but Brabyn could not find the touch to deflect the ball from it’s path and Brown gathered comfortably.
In an effort to change things, Falmouth manager Andy Westgarth introduced Jack Webber for Cam Hutchison in the 29th minute. They then started to play with a little more urgency and tempo but the big Westbury defence were still proving difficult to beat.
Falmouth again named an inexperienced bench with the exception of Tom Annear who was not risked. In a further effort to gain the initiative, Westgarth handed Ollie Evans his debut with 8 minutes left. This seemed to give the hosts some further energy and Falmouth were marginally on top, but with Westbury looking dangerous on the break.
Right on 90 minutes, a deep cross from the lively Evans down the left found Barner at the far post, shots were blocked and a goalmouth scramble ensued but Westbury survived. Two minutes into injury time and it was again Evans who did well to commit his defender and then play in Rubin Wilson, but a great bit of defending meant that Westbury only conceded a corner and the game remained goal-less.
On balance it was a fair result and Falmouth moved another point towards safety. They now face a particularly hard challenge as they travel to Salisbury on Saturday to take on another play-off contender in Bemerton Heath Harlequins. A gritty performance and a draw like tonight would probably be seen as a success, but in this league, anything is possible.
Att: 260
Falmouth Town: Morgan Coxhead, Bradley Leivers, Harrison Jewell, Fred Walter, Cam Hutchison, Luke Barner, Luke Brabyn. Andreas Calleja-Stayne©, Tom Fisher, Jared Sims, Rubin Wilson. Subs: Ollie Evans, Evan Tresidder, Ned Symons, Jack Webber, Tom Annear.
Westbury United: Rob Brown, Ben Starr, Ryan Bole, Steve Hulbert, Aaron Cockerill, Dan Restorick, Jack Witcombe, Charlie Wooding, Ricky Hulbert, Bevan Cross, Jamie Jordan. Subs: Keegan Smart, Thomas Mack, Kurt James, Kieran Perrin
Referee: Nigel D’Arcy