High-flying Wells City came to Warminster Town on the first day of February. The club made this a special day to raise funds for Cancer Research UK as part of World Cancer Day on February 4th. There was a raffle, and the takings from the refreshment cabin being donated to the cause.
The 107 in attendance watched a 6-goal thriller and honours were even at the end of this game at 3 – 3. This is how the game unfolded.
Warminster got off to a very bright start and almost scored in the opening seconds when Miluk on the right crossed into the box. Allen flicked the ball into the centre of the area, and Pawley shot over the bar. In the 4th minute, more pressure from the home side saw Shanley’s header saved by Wilkinson in City’s goal.
City scored first against the run of the opening play in the 7th minute. Foster, City’s number 10, practically unmarked, made sure by firing into the right-hand corner of Crabtree’s net. From the encounter earlier in the season, Warminster should have been aware of the goal-scoring ability of Wells and the ability to get balls into the box and finish them.
Wells continued to pump long balls forward throughout the match and make use of their taller players. Warminster had to be on guard against this tactic for the whole 90 minutes. The home side though did not let their heads drop after the opener and equalised in the 13th minute. Shanley found Allen on the edge of the box, whose shot went in off the left-hand post.
Allen doubled his tally in the 23rd minute, with a super shot from a parried save from a Shanley strike and buried the ball into the left corner of the goal. Crabtree pulled off a good save 5 minutes later to keep Town’s lead intact. Two minutes later, at the opposite end, Allen went close to a hat trick forcing the keeper into a fine save. Crabtree right at the death of the first half pulled off another good save contributing to him being the players’ Man of the Match.
With a 2 – 1 lead Warminster started the second-half as brightly as the first, and on 50 seconds Miluk going down the entire right of City’s half took on both defence and keeper to force the ball low into the back of the net to make it 3 – 1. Wells responded in the 52nd minute with Foster getting his second. Moments later Crabtree produced another fine save, but the lead was to vanish in the 68th minute when City equalised with a goal into the middle of the net by Hunt.
Warminster made a double substitution when Fletcher and Johnson replaced Barnes and Shanley. The fresh legs seemed to turn things in Warminster’s favour and the home side in the final quarter of an hour or so created several chances where Allen could have scored again.
Overall, Warminster should be pleased with their performance, and the fans of both teams were treated to an entertaining football match. There were opportunities for the home side to win and no doubt this will give them the confidence to perform well in their next game, which is on Saturday, February 8th away at Oldland Abbotonians.
Team: Crabtree, McFerran, Jeffery(c), Graham, De Silva, Lisowski, Miluk, Pawley, Allen, Shanley*, Barnes*,
Subs: (used) Fletcher*, Johnson*, Ball, Tylek