Westfield 'must stay switched on' after conceding late equaliser

Enjoying a lot of the possession in the first half Westfield never looked troubled at the back, moving the ball around nicely with purpose. The Westies probed and pushed but couldn’t break the deadlock with the only real chance of note falling to Lee Paine as he headed over from six yards from an expertly placed Martyn Durrant corner, this really was a day for patience as the 11 men of Rotherfield stayed behind the ball in a rigid 4-5-1 formation and tried to hit Westfield on the break, when they did foray forward it was quickly swept up by the back four of the Westies. Second half was much in the same vain with Westfield using the ball well but not quite finding the final touch. Half chances came and went for Ryan Harffey and Lee Paine before a rather agricultural ball forward found Gordan Cuddington in the box with the defender all over him the referee pointed to the spot. Up stepped Jack Stapley and send the keeper the wrong way and the ball into the bottom right hand corner. From this point onwards Westfield stopped playing and started trying to turn the Rotherfield back four round, this played into the visitors hands who came back into the game with a couple of half chances themselves. There resolute paid off as a freekick from 30 yards in the last minute was headed in unmarked at the back post to snatch a point from the game. Rotherfield will say a great ball and a good header but the home side will defiantly look at the defending of the freekick in a game that they really should have taken three points from on the balance of play. Westfield chairman Jack Stapley said: “We really must stay switched on for 90 minutes, the way we conceded the goal was criminal in any level of football. “We said at half time this would be won with a single goal and how true that would have been, really we have battered them but couldn’t find the final ball or a finishing touch, it’s disappointing two games running we have thrown away a leading position and if we want to be anywhere near the top this season they are games that we have to see out. “At the end of the day it’s a point and we have to build on that bar the goal I thought we were superb defensively, go forward we just have to take a bit more care in front of goal and with the final ball. “The football was much better today and the lads are taking on board what the managers are saying I’m sure when it clicks we will give a side a thumping.” Westfield: Soan, May, Stapley, Winter, Durrant, Cuddington, Ferguson, Harffey, Shelton, Martellini, Paine - Subs used - Frazer Bates, Buckley