Westfield '˜unlucky' in cup final

Westfield manager Jack Stapley felt the football club was unfortunate after missing out on a first Macron Store Southern Combination League trophy in two decades.
Westfield Football Club manager Jack Stapley.Westfield Football Club manager Jack Stapley.
Westfield Football Club manager Jack Stapley.

The Westies conceded a goal in either half to go down 2-0 against Sidlesham in the Division Two Challenge Cup final at Shoreham FC on Tuesday night.

Stapley said: “I think we were unlucky to be fair. Although they scored twice, we had the best of the game really and we definitely had the best of the chances.

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“I think 2-0 flatters them. It was a tough result to take; the boys put everything into it. We had our plans and executed them; we just came up against a decent side.”

Sidlesham defender Matt Roberts was the man of the match and their goalkeeper pulled off three or four ‘unbelievable’ saves, in the view of Stapley, one of them from a close range Callum Smith bicycle kick.

The West Sussex outfit opened the scoring through a brilliant strike by young Tom Atkinson, who rifled a volley from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.

With time running out, John Phillips doubled Sidlesham’s lead after getting away from Westfield’s defence and on the end of a ball over the top, although Stapley felt a ‘clear foul’ on Joe Dicken went unpunished.

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Westfield hit the post and had a shot cleared off the line thereafter, but it wasn’t to be as Sidlesham beat them for the third time this season.

Westfield: Ramsay; May, McGuigan (Dadswell), Dicken, Durrant; Winter, Ward (Hurst), Adams; Grindle, Smith, Ellis.

Westfield will conclude their league campaign with a trip to Roffey on Saturday. A victory will keep Westfield above their opponents and ensure they finish in the top six.

See our comprehensive sports coverage in the Observer every Friday.

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