Report: Westella 2-3 AFC Emley

AFC Emley will have felt fairly confident during their travels to Humberside on Wednesday night as they prepared for a crucial match against winless Westella & Willerby, but Gary Flounders’ early goal set the cat amongst the pigeons at the Easy Buy Stadium.

Emley’s late first half onslaught, however, seemed to settle nerves in the visitors’ dressing room and despite an early second half goal for the hosts, Darren Hewporth’s side managed to cling onto a scrappy three points in a match where fisticuffs were a plenty.

Westella manager Leon Sewell has only guided his team to two points in the eight games that he has overseen, but he will have been delighted when Gary Flounders unleashed a thunderous effort into Gary Stevens’ bottom corner after just 30 seconds.

None the less, it was chins up and get on with it for Emley. Ashley Flynn restored order in Barton-upon-Humber just as many seconds later, capitalising on a loose ball in the penalty area – no second invitation needed for last season’s top scorer.

Despite Westella gaining a slight grasp of the game after missing a couple of opportunities, Emley made the hosts pay for their wasted chances when unlikely scorer Jason Carney cropped up at the far post and lashed the ball into the bottom corner, clinically.

The Pewits’ dominance really started to become evident as the latter stages of the first half went on, especially their counter attacking football, which was causing all sorts of problems for the Westella back-line.

Jason Carney, who had just scored his first of the season, nearly turned provider when he made a superb run down the right hand wing before putting the ball on a plate for Jordan Townend in the six-yard area. Somehow his effort clashed with the post.

Then, it was Kieran Ryan’s turn to be denied by the framework, although it took a huge helping hand from Lewis Exall – a brilliant save upon reflection.

Five minutes before the interval, Ashley Flynn doubled the advantage and made it 3-1 with a routine tap in from close range after Jordan Coduri’s lung-busting run to provide the assist.

HT – Westella & Willerby 1 – 3 AFC Emley

The second half promised to be a feast for what seemed to be an energetic Emley side. Instead, it soon became evident that an element of exhaustion had set in and Hepworth’s men seemed to had lost their ambition in penetrating a weak Westella & Willerby side.

The hosts clawed their way back into the game with half an hour on the clock – Mike Hewitt pouncing on a bouncing ball in the six yard box from a dangerous long free-kick.

Then, the hosts seemed to really have their tails wagging shortly after their second goal of the night as a couple of glaring chances to draw level went begging.

In spite of Westella’s hard-fought attempted comeback, Emley could finally enjoy all three points as the final whistle blew, but they certainly didn’t make easy work of it.

FT – Westella & Willerby 2 – 3 AFC Emley

After the game, manager Darren Hepworth posted on social media; “made hard work of it but main thing was bringing 3 points back. Finally a game on Saturday to look forwards to and get some momentum.”

The game in which Hepworth was referring to is the away fixture to Hall Road Rangers – a side who have started strongly this season despite last season’s struggles. Emley enjoyed a 4-1 victory in Hull on their last visit to Haworth Park.