Smith’s double secures first point for Westbury (From Wiltshire Times)

Smith’s double secures first point for Westbury

11:18am Wednesday 13th August 2008 in Football

Westbury United 2, Gillingham Town 2

WESTBURY picked up their first point of the season at home to newly promoted Gillingham Town, last season's Dorset Premier League champions, last night, but it should have been a victory for the home side as they played against ten men from just before half-time, let a lead slip twice and had a host of chances too.

There was water on the pitch after earlier storms and that made for slippery conditions which both sides dealt with confidently to produce an action-packed match.

Gillingham were always a threat, with midfielder Steve Devlin pulling the strings, while for Westbury Matty Smith found some great form and Tom Staddon returned to influence attacking play.

Visiting forward Phil Ormrod waltzed through Westbury's static defence in the first minute but wasted a chance by firing over from ten yards. At the other end a cross by Mark Young seemed destined for Nick Ridout's head only for Adam Fricker to nip in and clear the danger.

Chances were traded at both ends, with Lee Morgan heading over from a Staddon cross, before Westbury's debutant goalkeeper Tom Drewitt denied Devlin and Ormrod with a good double save.

A fizzing cross by Luke Smith set up Wayne Wheeler and he was denied by a top drawer save by Alan Clements. At the other end Nick Compton's 35 yarder flew wide before he then wasted a close range chance.

Westbury took the lead with a great move after 35 minutes. Wheeler and Ridout combined to release Matty Smith into the box and, one-on-one with the advancing Clements, he took the chance cooly.

But the lead lasted just four minutes though as a corner from the ever dangerous Devlin wasn't cleared and Dan Rodgers netted at the second attempt.

It was Rodgers who saw red just before the break for an off the ball incident with Wheeler that was spotted by an assistant and, after consultation between he and the referee, they decided to send Gillingham's captain off.

There was no less action in the second half. Clements turned away a Ridout curler before another excellently worked goal restored Westbury's lead.

Staddon broke down the right and sent in a pacy cross that was met with a powerful finish by Matty Smith.

But again the lead was shortlived with Gillingham awarded a penalty just after the hour. Devlin sent in a free kick that was headed against the bar by Ormrod, but the referee adjudged he had been pushed by a defender and gave the spot kick. Devlin stepped up to make it 2-2.

More chances followed at both ends. with Gillingham's ten men intent to snatch victory while Westbury really should have done do. Nathan Hallett fired across the face of goal, Staddon brought two saves out of Clements and Morgan headed over an Ayton corner.

Meanwhile Morgan cleared off the line when Nick Thomson looked to have scored and Ross Parker's excellently timed tackle denied Ben Thomson.