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Best start for Vets

- 05/10/2008

Westcliffe Veterans 1 City Veterans 1

City went into the game on Saturday knowing that if they avoided defeat it would be their best start to a season ever. Westcliffe still had some of the old faces but they had also got some new ones to go with their new kit.

City started well, attacking into the wind, with Alec Rivers and Steve Woollcott working the ball well down the right flank. The crosses coming into the box were easily dealt with and it became obvious a different approach would be needed.

Matt Banks was having an influential game alongside Dave Yates at the back and Westcliffe never looked like getting through. They did however manage to find some space after City's midfield had gone missing to get a shot in which beat Julian but not the post.

Both teams played some good football, not content to merely boot the ball forward but to build play from the back. It was inevitable that the ref was going to have his usual impact on the game and after a cross form Joe Harris had, for once, evaded the massive Westcliffe 'keeper, Steve Jones scored with his head, only for the ref to disallow it saying the ball had gone out for a throw before Joe had crossed the ball. The fact that no Westcliffe player appealed for a throw at the time only added to the frustration City were feeling at a perfectly good goal being disallowed.

Both defences were having great games and the chances in the first half were few and far between. The half ended with City enjoying a good spell of possession. It was in this vein that they looked to start the second half. Joe Harris was showing a good turn of pace on the right and was making life difficult for the Westcliffe full back but the final ball was either cut out or well defended. It was difficult to see where a goal was going to come from but this right hand side looked the most likely.

Steve Jones battled well in holding the ball up and then feeding it out for Joe to run at their defence. This was working well and in the end paid dividends as Steve moved the ball out wide, Joe, spotted the 'keeper off his line and executed a perfect lob to put City 1-0 up. As is the City way, they were never going to hold out for a 1-0 but instead went looking for a second. It was perhaps as a result of this that a Westcliffe forward managed to get a looping shot unopposed just outside our box. The ball made its way over Julian's outstretched hand to go in off the post.

In the last 10 minutes both teams went for the winner. Again the ref proved decisive in the outcome when ruling Nick Saunders offside when clean through on goal. Again there were no appeals for the Westcliffe defenders at the time.

In the end a draw was probably a fair result, with both teams playing some good football and both defences having outstanding games. The manager remarked after the game that this was some of the best football he had seen the team play, which is just as well as a difficult game away to Ashford awaits next.