Replay needed in Fa Cup Extra Prelim Round

The Bears kicked off but were soon under pressure and fell behind after just five minutes. A long ball was played into the box and was only half cleared to Dan Stoneman his shot beat the diving Craig Ellison just inside the post, 1-0 Westfields. It took a good header from Josh Ryder to deny the visitors a second goal after a deep cross.

The scores were level minutes later. Paul Speed was fouled and Anthony Griffith hit the free-kick well but the shotl was blocked. The Bears won back possession and the ball found its way to Saul Henderson who scored low down from 6 yards, 1-1.

The game now opened up and both sides had good chances. Paul Connor headed clear for the bears and the ball upfield was just cut out by the keeper. More Bears pressure resulted in a corner which was initially blocked on the line and Mini Adegbenro couldn’t keep his rebound shot down, watching it sail over the bar. Chances were falling at both ends with shots coming in from a number of angles, but none finding the target, a Sam Freakes dangerous cross was cut out by the keeper.

Westfields thought they were in after forty minutes but Ellison did superbly to take the ball one handed off the strikers foot.
Half Time Congleton Town 1-1 Westfields

The windy conditions were not helping the game with both sides struggling to really come to terms with it.

The Bears had the better of the opening exchanges of the second half and Henderson went close with a shot from the edge of the box which went just wide. A strong run by the same player resulted in a corner which was again cleared.

On 71 minutes Freakes took a free-kick on the edge of the box. He curled it over the wall but the keeper was there to make the catch. Ellison was equally good with the catching as Westfields pushed balls into the Bears box.

Jamie McLellen was replaced by Danny Meadowcroft and Mini Adegbenro by John Main as the Bears searched for the elusive winner. Henderson on the right crossed into the danger area and it took a late Westfields boot to get it away. Dan Cope then replaced Henderson for the final ten minutes.

The nearest the Bears came was on 87 minutes. Freakes again with the ball into the box and this time a Westfields defender almost beat his own keeper but the deflection went just over the bar. Bev Burey then made good progress down the right, chasing down a long ball, he crossed into the box but Cope’s shot just skimmed the top of the bar.

The final action saw Paul Connor come to the Bears rescue with the clearance from a free-kick.

The full tim whistle brought to an end an entertaining game, one in which the Bears will be disappointed not to have won the game and now having to take the long mid-week trip to Hereford for the replay.

Team Ellison, Connor, Peters, Ryder, McLellen (Meadowcroft 67), Griffith, Burey, Speed, Hendserson (Cope 81), Freakes, Adegbenro (Main 79)
Unused subs: Cooke, Brislen, De Ataide, Nolan