First’s fall to single goal defeat

Rovers slipped to a single goal defeat in a Friday night game full of endeavour but surprisingly lacking in real quality.

Darren and Lee made two changes from the side that beat Raynes Park Vale on the Tuesday, with Timmy Obisanya dropping to the bench and Noah Africa on school team duty. Into the line up came Nahum Melvin-Lambert and Danyall Iqbal.

The visitors started brightly and an early strike by 9 was comfortably gathered by Kacper Orlowski. Our first chance came on 12 minutes when a deep free kick from Tyrese Osbourne found Bertie Lloyd but back-peddling he was unable to trouble Hugo Sobte in the Westfield goal. Osbourne then fired over another free kick as Rovers were in the early ascendancy.

Orlowski saved well low to his right from Lucas Sinclair, and shortly after a combination of Lloyd and Evangelos Empochontsif saw off the threat of the surging Sinclair.

Our best chance of the half came ten minutes from the break, a long through ball saw Nahum Melvin-Lambert loop a header over Sobte, only for a stunning goalline clearance by 3.

Aside from another Melvin-Lambert half chance which came to nothing, there was little other goalmouth action in the first half and half time came scoreless.

Westfield were out of the blocks brightly in the second half and forced a succession of early corners, but despite some hairy moments in the six yard box, these came to nothing.

The effort continued to be there for both sides, with Westfield having the better of possession, but there was still very little to trouble the goalkeepers – Sinclair and Lui Edwards firing the best chances for Westfield high and wide.

We made our first change on the hour with Jayden Smith making way for Jeff Cobblah but again it was Westfield who went close with Edwards bringing a decent diving stop low to his right by Orlowski.

A raft of changes followed, with Timmy Obisanya and Francis Sey coming on for Cam Dobell and Melvin-Lambert. Danyall Iqbal saw a shot deflected wide, before making way for Jack Lillie.

The visitors struck the only goal of the game on 72 minutes, a break down the left saw a driven close turned home at the back post by Sekou Toure.

We looked to get back in the game, Osbourne saw an effort deflected wide before in stoppage time we finally forced Sobte into a meaningful save, with Cobblah driving an effort low to the keepers left, requiring a great block and the keeper recovered quickly to smother the follow up.

Full time came and we slipped to defeat, but plenty of positives to take from the game, in the manner of the performance.

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