STEPHEN Hulbert headed a 90th-minute equaliser as Westbury United warmed up for Good Friday’s Wiltshire derby against Bradford Town in Toolstation League Premier Division with a 2-2 draw at home to Cribbs, writes JONATHAN LEIGHFIELD.

After an end-of-season wobble, Westbury have steadied in recent weeks and are now three games unbeaten following a couple of draws and a win.

Dan Kovacs drilled United in front before Cribbs turned the game on its head with goals either side of half-time.

Westbury pushed for an equaliser and were duly rewarded when Hulbert thumped in a late header from Ian Jeffery’s cross.

Conceding that a draw was probably a fair result, United joint-manager Neil Kirkpatrick said his side did not do enough to win the game, and was pleased with a point against a resurgent Cribbs.

He said: “You could say that we probably had 60 per cent of the game, Cribbs had 40 per cent, and we probably didn’t quite do enough to win the game.

“But we would have been very disappointed if it had stayed 2-1 because we came strong at the end.

“It was on a really difficult surface, but we started the game really well and went ahead. Cribbs came back into it with two very similar goals, which was disappointing.

“They’ll say they were two good goals, but we feel you’ve got to stop the delivery and then there’s no danger.

“Cribbs are a good side. They’ve been on a really good run and they’ve beaten Willand recently, so it was good that we fought back and penned them in for the last 10 or 15 minutes.”

Westbury’s next fixture is an important one on Good Friday – an away match at Wiltshire rivals, Bradford.

The Bobcats were the team to end United’s incredible year-long unbeaten run in the league, and Kirkpatrick says his players are desperate to atone for their underwhelming performance in the reverse fixture.

He said: “There was 450 at our ground for the game on Boxing Day, but that was one of the few games that we haven’t turned up in, so we’re hoping to put that right on Friday, without a doubt.

“It’s local bragging rights, so everyone wants to win it. Bradford won’t want to be beaten by us, that’s for sure.

“We’re already the top-finishing side in Wiltshire, so it would be nice to prove why we are and show them we are a good team, because we didn’t do that at home.”

Meanwhile, Bradford stole all three points against Hallen last weekend with an injury-time goal of their own.

Will Hailston put Town 1-0 up before Wayne Thorne’s side were pegged back midway through the second half.

But, two minutes into added time, Leon Greenland smashed home to give Bradford a 2-1 victory.