Hengrove Athletic were the visitors to Weymouth Street Saturday, the first home game played on a Saturday since AEK Boco visited way back on the 14th of August!
The sides had previously met a mere 3 weeks ago in the reverse fixture, Warminster running out 3-0 winners at the AVB stadium.
Despite missing a few regular players through injuries Town put on a bit of a goal fest in the 45 minutes!
The first 10 minutes were quite the scrappy affair, and the first meaningful chances went Hengroves way. A cross from the left just 4 minutes in only needing a touch. 4 minutes later, another opportunity presented itself for Hengrove, managing to get in behind the Warminster back line and get a shot away. Town keeper Sam Thompson having to get down smartly to his left at the near post to block it.
First blood would go to Warminster however. In the 10th minute a long ball over the top found Conner McKay onside and one on one with the keeper he slotted his shot low into the bottom right hand corner.
Hengrove managed to pull one back just 2 minutes later however. Another ball finding its way behind the Town back line to Sam Jackson who managed to weave around and get his shot away, burying it into the left side of the Warminster Goal.
After conceding Warminster seemed to go up a gear and floodgates opened. On 18 minutes another ball over the top finding Conner McKay who turned his man and let fly, burying his shot into the bottom right corner. 2 minutes later yet another long ball just out of reach of McKay was poorly cleared by the Hengrove keeper from the edge of his area and it fell kindly to Alex Churchyard near the halfway line who calmly lobbed the back tracking keeper to make it 3-1.
Hengrove did have their chances though as Town were still looking a little shaky at the back, 22 minutes in, one on one with Thompson, but fortunately steering the shot wide.
End to end stuff as 2 minutes later, McKay could’ve had his hattrick. A low driven ball in from Jack Miluk taking a few deflections on its way through found McKay at the back post, but not knowing much about it, his touch sent the ball just wide.
Straight up the other end, Sam Jackson was causing more trouble for the Warminster defence as two more chances went begging for the visitors.
Just past the half hour mark, Town were awarded a penalty. McKay being brought down. Seth Wain stepped up to take the resulting Penalty and coolly put it away.
Warminster were not finished though and in the last 15 minutes of the first half put two more past the visitors! Number 5 coming from a low driven ball by Owen Bartley on the left side, finding Aaron Cockrill in the 6 yard area to poke it home and number 6 courtesy of a tap in from Martin Johnson after a low ball across the face of goal from Seth Wain on 44 minutes.
6-1 to Warminster at the break.
Warminster looked to continue where they left off in the first half and bagged their 7th goal 13 minutes into the second half! A counter attacking move saw McKay burst away, sliding a lovely ball into the middle for Martin Johnson to get his second of the game, finishing low into the bottom left corner.
63rd minute saw Hengrove have their best chance since their goal. #10 Danny Dodimead forcing a very athletic save from Sam Thompson! The resulting corner pinballed around the face of goal before eventually being nodded home by Dodimead!
A comeback seemed highly unlikely, but Non-league football is always full of surprises…
2 minutes later yet another long ball over the top, caught theWarminster defence napping and Dodimead one on one slotted the ball home.
Hengrove now had their heads up and could smell the blood from a complacent home side. 71 minutes, practically a carbon copy of the goal before, Dodimead yet again on the end of it for 7-4!
On 77 minutes substitute Luco Poncillo, again getting on the end of a long ball, managed to shrug off the challenge from Cockrill to finish into the bottom right corner.
A few moments later, Dodimead again had a chance, managing to shrug off several challenges and getting a shot away toward the near post, Thompson again having to get something on it, deflecting it onto the post.
With just 4 minutes of normal time to play, Hengrove brought the deficit back to just one! The referee awarded a penalty after a challenge from Substitute Toby Ruck. The ref had a good game, but he got this one horribly wrong!
Either way, the penalty was given and Sub Billy Vaughan thumped it home!
The dying minutes of the game were tense with Warminster all over the place and Hengrove piling on the pressure forcing two more fantastic and crucial saves from Thompson in the Town goal!
Warminster however managed just to hold on and take the 3 points, writes Jamie House.
7-6 the final score!
Starting XI: Thompson, Pollock, Cockerill, Lisowski, De Silva, Churchyard ©, Miluk, Bartley, Johnson M, Wain, McKay
Subs: Ruck, Hampson, Atkins, Humphrey (Not used)
Subs: Ruck, Hampson, Atkins, Humphrey (Not used)