Warminster’s first back to back league wins this season was achieved at Almondsbury FC with a clean sheet and three goals. On a sticky pitch following torrential rain the previous day Warminster put in a good performance and worked hard to achieve this win.
The home side started the day 2 points clear of The Town and so a win would leap-frog Warminster at least one place in the league table. The first-half saw the home side with more possession and forced Nathan Ball, Warminster’s goalkeeper into two excellent saves. As every football fan will tell you, possession does not always bring about a win, and this match proved that to be true.
Lisowski playing in mid-field went close in the 13th minute with a long-range strike that went just left of the goal post. Five minutes later, Ball produced a superb save diving to his right to push the ball out to safety.
In the 22nd minute, Warminster struck with the first goal from Francois Allen in a goal-mouth scramble. The ball coming from a free-kick seemed to stick to the pitch at Allen’s feet. With opposition players and the goalie in front of him he still managed to fire the ball home.
On the half-hour, James Vincent was brought down on the left of the pitch about 9 yards from the byline. The free-kick, taken by Ashton Shanley who sent a low ball into the 6-yard box. With Warminster’s strikers running into the box, two Almondsbury defenders ran to intercept the ball which hit one of them and firmly planted the ball into their own goal.
Both sides had more chances this half with both the keepers called into action, with the very best save by Ball in additional time with another dive this time higher to his right to maintain a two-goal lead at halftime.
The second half saw Warminster with an increased level of possession compared to the first one. The third goal came from a penalty in the 71st minute when a foul was committed as the ball came in from a corner-kick. Ian Jeffery made no mistake firing home low in the centre of the goal as the keeper dived to his left and away from the ball. James Vincent, just inside additional time should have made it 4. Miluk crossed from the right and found Vincent on the 6-yard line but shot just wide of the right-hand post.
After the game, manager, Andy Crabtree tweeted, “At last back to back wins in the league .. today was difficult for various reasons .. but our boys’ character, desire and will to win was never in doubt #topblokes.”
Team: Ball, Jeffery, McFerran, Graham, De-Silva, Lisowski, Miluk, Shanley, Barnes*, Vincent, Allen*
Subs: (used*) Fletcher*, Bowden*