After two postponements due to snow and rain it was good to be able to play football again at Weymouth Street. For the 109 in attendance, this was indeed a game worth waiting for. Following a goalless but still an entertaining first-half, the home side were rampant in the second-half winning 5 – 0 and climbing above the visitors to tenth place in the league table.

The first half opened with an early opportunity for the visitors with a long-range shot which went wide of the left-hand post. However, not to be outdone and still only in the second minute, Charlie Walton for Warminster shot from the left well outside of the box and saw this beat the keeper but rebound off the crossbar before being cleared by the defence.

Wincanton passed the ball well and kept finding players in or around the edge of the penalty area. The Warminster defence stood up well and limited the visitors to very few shots on goal and forcing one save by Nathan Ball when Toby Cole was free on the left and got just into the edge of the penalty area and fired a left-footed shot along the ground in the 28th minute. Two minutes, McKay for Warminster passed the ball to Butler who travelled down the left side of the pitch, passed the ball along the line to Jake Wright. Wright took on the defender and got past him to the edge of the box and fired a looping shot which forced the visitors keeper, Liam Norris to make a fine save and lift the ball over his crossbar. It was almost a carbon copy of the goal Wright scored at Portishead and but for the keeper’s excellent reflexes it would have been another.

The last 15 minutes of this half saw the home side in the ascendancy and were it not for Norris’ super goalkeeping would have seen Warminster ahead at half time, as it was, both teams went into the dressing rooms goalless.

The second half got underway, and Warminster took up from where they left off, and in the 49th minute, George Butler got a shot away which was saved by Norris who was proving his place in the Wincanton team.

The breakthrough for the Red & Blacks came in the 63rd minute when Charlie Walton fired home from just inside the 6-yard box a rebound from the keepers save. Three minutes later Jack Miluk forced the keeper once again to make a save this time tipping over the bar a long looping shot. Warminster continued piling on the pressure, and from a corner, Lewis Graham headed the ball and with a fantastic overhead kick and 12 yards out Charlie Walton found Conner Mackay who could then tap the ball home in the 67th minute.

Just 3 minutes later Jake Wright was brought down just inside the box by the keeper, Norris. Wright took the penalty and calmly slotted the ball in the bottom right corner. Norris went the right way but couldn’t keep the ball out of his net. Wincanton now rattled by Warminster’s relentless attack decided to change from playing out and passing from the back to long balls to the front men. This tactic was easily dealt with by the home side’s defence, and the pressure on Wincanton didn’t cease.

The fourth goal came in the first minute of added time when Walton gathered the ball around 15 yards inside the middle of visitors half, he ran towards goal and fired home a powerful shot, a well-deserved reward for the incredible hard work he had put into this game. Warminster still did not rest on their laurels, and just two minutes later the ball was in the back of the net when substitute Martin Johnson tapped home, following excellent work from Walton who won the ball inside his own half, passed to Jake Wright. Wright ran into the box from just inside the away teams half, he passed the ball across goal, and a defender sliding in sent the ball onto the far post which Johnson was then able to follow up on the rebound. A truly outstanding performance from the team and without the excellent saves by Norris could have been closer to 10 goals scored against a team who did not play poorly and who beat Warminster in the home tie 3 -1.

After the game manager, Andy Crabtree said, “Very pleased with our performance especially the 2nd half with the goals. It’s great that we are now beginning to show what we are capable of. When you look back where we were this time last year, and to where we are now, we have come a long, long way, not only as a team but the club in general. We are finally giving the supporters something to shout about. But nothing stands still in football, and it’s on to the next game.

Warminster welcome high-flying Calne to Weymouth Street on Saturday 23rd February in what should be another excellent game of football. Kickoff 3.00pm and all are welcome.

Team: Ball, Baggs, Barnes, Graham, Sisson, Churchyard, Miluk, Walton, Wright, McKay, Butler.
subs (*used): Mortimer-Taylor*, Crabtree, Johnson*, De Silva*