Mid-Somerset League

Premier Division

Saturday 26th September 2020

Kick Off 15.30 Actual 15.25

Coleford Athletic 1 Westfield Reserves 6, attendance 25

4’ 0-1

12’ 0-2

16’ 0-3

21’ 0-4

27’ 0-5

64’ 1-5

80’ 1-6

@ Highbury Playing Fields

Highbury Street

Coleford

BA3 5PS

No Admission or Programme.

The early match was over by 14.41, which meant I would have had time to make it to a nearby 15.00 kick off in the Somerset County League, but I decided to stick with my original plan. The eleven mile journey from Evercreech was on some very tight and twisting country lanes, but I was still parked up in Coleford at 15.06.

The ground here, along with it’s undulating pitch that has a large end to end slope away from the changing room end, certainly has some history. As well as hosting County League football, it also hosted Western League games in the 1920’s and 1930’s, albeit for just three seasons, as well as a couple of Preliminary Round F.A. Cup ties at the end of the 1940’s.

The step up in standard from this morning’s match was remarkable. It was far more skilful and was played at a much faster pace. Westfield had the game won inside half an hour, scoring five times from seven chances (the other two were saved by the ‘keeper) in a blistering start. Kicking down the slope in the second half didn’t seem to suit them though. Coleford, who battled well despite being totally overrun, deservedly pulled a goal back to reduce the arrears with twenty five minutes left to play, but it was too late to change the outcome. Westfield did add a sixth goal to finish off the scoring, but the second half never reached the heights of the first. I’m not sure if the Referee had seen enough by then, but he blew the full time whistle a couple of minutes early.