Local teams play in friendly
VALE 5
WESTEND UNITED 0
(Under 12’s friendly 27/4/02)
This game was played in the Congleton Town F.C. stadium by kind invitation from the Vale Football Club. Westend would like to thank Congleton Town for hosting this event with the grandstand being much more comfortable than standing in the rain.
This was always going to be a difficult game with Vale being in the dizzy heights of division one and Westend emerging from a hard season finishing fourth in division three but the lads gave their all to make a show of it.
Vale started the game and immediately applied pressure to the defences of Scott Sapsford, Philip Roney, Darren Roberts, Dean Morgan and Robin Evans in goal. They all had to work overtime to keep Vale at bay. The relentless pressure paid off after an under hit back pass failed to reach Evans and Vale pounced on it to open the scoring. The midfield of Kit Ambage, Jim Cowburn, Oliver Gifford and Harry Higate could only get into the game from goal kicks or throw ins and delivery to the forwards Ashley Goodwin and Alex Mason was rare. Goodwin made way for Jack Carroll in an attempt to add some width. Evans was doing a storming job and kept Westend in the game on numerous occasions with some excellent saves. Westend started their most promising move from midfield with Cowburn passing to Mason who spread it wide to Carroll who in turn sent Mason clear with an exquisite ball and with only the keeper to beat Mason put the ball just outside the post. In a double substitution Ambage and Gifford went off and Nick Tabbinor and Anthony Crossley came on. Vale were having most of the play with a number of shots on goal that went either wide, over or were saved. Vale won a corner and a good ball came in followed by a mad scramble resulting in the ball squeezing in to make it 2-0. This was how it stayed at half time.
Westend restarted the second half put lost possession straight away putting the defence under pressure. The rain became quite heavy making it uncomfortable for all. Westend were still battling in midfield but were finding it difficult to go forward. Ambage came back on for Higate. Vale continued to press forward and they scored their third from a corner and goalmouth scramble after it had once been cleared off the line by Roney. Sapsford came off and Goodwin came on. Westend had another excursion into the Vale half after some good work between Cowburn, Mason and Goodwin and the long range shot from Mason was spilled by the keeper but he gathered. Gifford swapped with Crossley. Westend got a couple of attempts on goal the first when Cowburn linked with Tabbinor but his effort went wide. The second started with Gifford to Ambage then to Goodwin who passed to Mason who pushed it forward to Gifford, who had followed up, he put the ball in but it was too close to the keeper. Vale get another corner and Roberts clears off the line but Vale get it in again to make it 4-0. Westend restarted and worked forward but Vale cleared to get their fifth goal. The final whistle came soon after, both teams had worked very hard with Vale coming out on top.
The Man of the Match was awarded to Dean Morgan for his defensive efforts and endless running in pursuit of the ball.
Team: - Ambage, Carroll, Cowburn, Crossley, Evans, Gifford, Goodwin, Higate, Mason, Morgan, Roberts, Roney, Sapsford and Tabbinor.