Updated: Westfield cup clash postponed

Westfield Football Club's fascinating-looking local cup derby away to Sidley United tomorrow (Saturday) has been postponed.
Westfield joint manager Jack Stapley is expecting a tough encounter against Sidley United tomorrow.Westfield joint manager Jack Stapley is expecting a tough encounter against Sidley United tomorrow.
Westfield joint manager Jack Stapley is expecting a tough encounter against Sidley United tomorrow.

The Westies were due to visit lower grade Sidley United in a Hastings & District FA Intermediate Cup quarter-final, but the match has succumbed to the wintry weather.

Westfield joint manager Jack Stapley believed his team could well have been in for one of its toughest games of the season.

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Westfield are fourth in Macron Store Southern Combination League Division Two, while Sidley occupy the same position in the Macron East Sussex League Premier Division.

Stapley said: “It’s a local derby back from the old county league days and I think this could well be one of our toughest games of the season.

“With them being in the East Sussex League and us as a county league side, we’re seen as a massive scalp and players tend to raise their game when they’re an underdog. Plus they’ve got some really good players who are more than capable of playing at county league level.

“It will be a really tough test and anyone who thinks otherwise will be in for a shock. I think it might be high scoring; both sides score quite a few goals.

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“It’s a cup we really want to win. It’s our best chance of silverware and a final at The Pilot Field is not to be sniffed at so we’ve got to go all guns blazing.”

Jacob Shelton is cup-tied, while Kevaughn Ward may have pulled his hamstring in the early stages of last weekend’s 2-1 league win at home to Montpelier Villa.

Stapley was well pleased with that result, which took Westfield’s tally of league victories for the season into double figures.

“It was a good win,” said Stapley, who described the referee as the best Westfield have had all season. “It was quite a hard-fought game and it was a fairly decent performance. I can’t fault any of the effort from the boys.

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“They’ve massively improved I think over the season, they’re a very hard working side who can put you under quite a lot of pressure. They have willing runners off the ball and they’ve got a bit of quality when they do get on the ball.

“We missed chances and they missed chances, and maybe we got away with a couple of refereeing decisions that on another day we wouldn’t have done.”

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