MATCH REPORT: Salisbury v Westbury

Salisbury FC 1 - Westbury United 2. Match report from Ian Pearson.

Westbury United were the visitors to the Ray Mac on Tuesday evening for a Wiltshire FA Premier Shield clash under the lights. It was a Salisbury side with several changes to the starting eleven and a few new names on the substitute bench.

Westbury certainly didn’t turn up to make up the numbers and made an energetic start to the game, but Salisbury kept pace with the Southern League Division One South side. Neither side troubled either keeper despite the high work rate in the first half.

There was the usual 50/50 raffle draw and a fun Halloween competition at half time. Both of which were organised by the hardworking Supporters’ Club.

The 2nd half started at a slightly lower intensity as both teams tried to work the other out. The same hunger was evident, but it was a calmer affair. 

Despite the cold October air, the atmosphere from the stands remained buoyant. Westbury built a little pressure as we moved towards 60 minutes, but the game soon returned to its usual status quo.

Matt Briggs latched onto a through ball from Tommy Willard and kept his composure to slot it past Manning in the Westbury goal to open the scoring and give Salisbury the lead on 67 minutes. A flurry of chances followed, with Noah Coppin coming closest to doubling the scoreline within a few minutes.

The goal sparked the game into life until Westbury finally managed to get hold of possession and calm things down. This enabled Westbury to regain a bit of control, and out of nowhere they mounted an attack which saw Brad Selwood even things up with an easy finish when left in plenty of space in the area. Less than 2 minutes later, Sellwood pounced again to make it Salisbury FC 1, Westbury United 2 as we entered the final 10 minutes of the game.

Evander Grubb weaved his way through several Westbury defenders to enter the visitors’ area, with the resulting shot being fired straight at the United keeper. A minute later, the ball fell to Tommy Willard, who had a powerful shot well saved by the impressive Manning in goal.

A determined Westbury side fought hard in the dying minutes of the game as Salisbury tried to mount pressure on their lower league opponents. The match entered the 6 additional minutes that were indicated by the referee, and as soon as the 90 minute mark had ticked over, the ball dropped to Ollie Morgan, in the Westbury area. He fired a shot goalward, but again Joel Manning was equal to it between the sticks.

The clock ticked down, and the final whistle sounded without too much more drama. The Westbury team, staff, and fans erupted as they progressed into the next round of the competition.

Salisbury FC are now focused on league survival and will get back to National League South action on Saturday when they welcome Dorking Wanderers to the Ray Mac for a 3pm kick off.

Attendance - 382