WARMINSTER Town joint-boss Derek Graham was delighted to see his team surefootedly navigate tricky conditions to claim the derby spoils against Westbury United on Boxing Day.

Despite a sodden surface at Meadow Lane, Warminster rolled up their sleeves and carved out a comfortable victory over James Goddard’s Westbury to ensure that just the visiting supporters making up part of a bumper crowd of 316 left with their spirits dampened.

Westbury began the game the brighter of the two teams and got off to a dream start as Dan Moore fired them in front from 20 yards but after United goalie Charlie Heydon had kept out Dan Sibley and Tom Welch, Graham and Crabtree's men turned the contest on its head.

First, Sibley latched on to a ball forward from Welch before finishing confidently from a tight and angle and then, from the same supply line, DJ Wheeler shifted the ball onto his right foot before finding the net to make it 2-1 before the break.

Barely 20 seconds into the second period, the ground was plunged into darkness for around 10 minutes following a floodlight failure but once the action got back under way, Warminster picked up where they left off.

The visitors’ Mark Scammell was shown a second yellow card for handball and Tom Welch converted the resultant free-kick to ensure that there would be no fightback from 10-man Westbury.

“I don’t think that we would have got the game on if it wasn’t Boxing Day but we’re happy that we did. We had a great crowd and it was the biggest in both divisions of the Western League,” said Warminster joint-manager Graham.

“The pitch was really heavy and hard to play on but Tom Welch got on the ball and started to play it longer, rather than passing to people’s feet.

“He got Dan Sibley and DJ Wheeler in and they both scored and when their lad’s handled the ball and been sent off, Welchy’s scored the free-kick.

“From there, you think you’re going to go and score two or three more but like it usually does, a team going down to ten men work that little bit harder.

“But they didn’t really have a shot on target and we dominated the second half. It’s a shame that we didn’t get any more goals but I would have taken any win.”

Warminster go looking to build on their derby triumph when they go to second-from-bottom Wincanton Town on Saturday.

Graham and Crabtree are hoping to include new signing Nathan Flower and should welcome back Charlie Walton and Iain Carr.

Goddard's United face a tough trip to Chipping Sodbury Town.