IT WAS a case of contrasting emotions for the management teams at Westbury United and local rivals Warminster Town after Saturday’s entertaining draw.

Westbury boss Shaun Gardiner hailed his troops for recovering from a two-goal deficit to snatch a point, while Warminster joint-manager Derek Graham was left shell-shocked as his team failed to see out the win.

Otis Young gave Warminster the lead from the penalty spot at Meadow Lane and Tom Welch doubled the visitors’ advantage before the break.

Things then went from bad to worse for Westbury as Nathan Hallett-Young was sent off.

But the home side came out with renewed vigour after the restart and goals from Callum Cooper and Sam Clift earned them a share of the spoils, much to the delight of the majority of the 502-strong crowd.

Westbury boss Gardiner said: “I was over the moon with that result. We went two goals down and lost a player and I was thinking what have we got to do.

“We came in at half-time and had a really good talk and there was only one team in it in the second half.

“I thought we could even have gone on to win it because their keeper made some really good saves.

“It was a great fightback from the lads and I can’t say enough about them. That’s the fighting spirit we have got to show.”

Warminster’s Graham added: “In the first half we played really well.

“But when one of their players got sent off it was the worst thing in the world that could have happened.

“In the second half you’d have thought if they had 10 we only had nine.

“When teams go down to 10 you have to match their work-rate and you think you have more time on the ball than you do.

“That comes with maturity as I don’t think the lads haven’t played 10 men before.

“Our back four played really well, which was just as well as we could easily have lost which would have been even more embarrassing.”