Longlevens fall to first defeat of the season after clinical second half from Westfields
Longlevens suffered their first defeat of the season, losing to Westfields 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Ethan Vaughan made it two in two for his new club, as his spectacular free kick cancelled out Dan Cottrill’s header before the break.
But second half goals from Will Dallaway and James Baldwin were enough to earn Fields the points and making it two wins out of two for them.
Longlevens’ wait for a win continues after conceding a late leveller in their season opener at home to Pershore Town last weekend.
Levens now head to Malmesbury Victoria in the FA Cup on Saturday, before another tough home game the following weekend as Hereford Pegasus make the trip to Saw Mills.
An even start saw Westfields have more of the ball, but Longlevens the best chance of the opening 10 minutes when Vaughan worked a yard of space and had a strike saved by Matt Gwynne.
Westfields opened the scoring with their first real shot on goal, on 11 minutes, when Cottrill found space in the box to head home from a right sided cross.
From there Levens struggled to create, although tried to play patiently and work the ball, however it lacked a bit of conviction in the final third.
Gwynne saved well from Fin Gwillim just before the half hour mark, before Vaughan stepped up to whip a 30 yard free kick into the top corner.
The goal took the hosts into half time all square, but it was Westfields who would come out for the second half on the front foot.
After a disallowed goal for a push at a long throw in, Fields should have retaken the lead when the ball was cut back from the right – but Reiss Taylor-Randle somehow skied his effort from the middle of the box.
The visitors didn’t have to wait too long for their second though, as Levens gave the ball away cheaply in the Westfields half. A couple of home players stopped expecting a free kick to be given for a challenge on Vaughan – but the referee correctly allowed play to continue.
Will Dallaway, who came on at the interval then chopped inside of Jay Wells, who couldn’t sort his feet out, before slotting past Drew Brei.
The hosts shuffled the pack, with Alex Knight, Lewis Vye and Theo Bevan introduced from the bench, but they struggled to force any space against a resilient Westfields defence.
In the end it was the visitors who killed the game with just over 15 minutes to go. Again, Levens felt aggrieved that a throw in went Westfields way, but they were slow to react and James Baldwin produced a stunning volley to seal the deal for his side.
Longlevens were left disappointed, but will need to shake themselves down as their tough start to the season continues.
Longlevens: Brei, Beardsell, Troke, Long, Wells, Hunt, Vaughan, Williams, Gwillim, Driscoll, Parsons
Subs: Knight, Bevan, Byard, O’Connor, Vye
Westfields: Gwynne, Hunt, Cooke, McGrath, Beach, Gregan, Douglas, Taylor-Randle, Cottrill, Cresswell, Baldwin
Subs: Dallaway, Waller, Sibanda, Clarke
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Cam Williams (Longlevens)
READ MORE: Check out the list of Saturday’s fixtures in and around Gloucestershire right here
