Rory Preston netted late on to secure Hartpury FC a well earned 2-0 victory over Westbury United at Meadow Lane, on Tuesday night.
Preston scored of the bench after Kian Davies found the net from the spot, making it three Southern League Div One South games unbeaten.
The Acorns saw just one change to the side who drew at Exmouth Town on Saturday, as Cameron Walters returning to the starting XI in place of the injured Josh Roney.
Westbury started fast and tested Seth Locke early doors when Ethan Witchell’s volleyed effort deflected kindly for the Acorns shot stopper, inside five minutes.
Witchell tested Locke again on nine minutes with a low driven effort, but Locke was down smartly to deny the Westbury man.
Locke was in fine form during the opening 15 minutes, when he superbly denied Leighton Thomas with a reflex save at his near post following a swivelling effort from the attacker.
The game went quiet after that, until on 32 minutes Davies dispatched a spot kick into the top left corner giving the Acorns the lead, after Louis Manning was bundled over in the area.
That was all for the action in a contested first 45 minutes, with the Acorns taking a narrow lead into the break.
HALF TIME – WESTBURY UNITED 0-1 HARTPURY FC
Westbury started the second period as strongly as the first with Bevan Cross striking low on 47 minutes, but Locke was down and equal to the effort.
Straight up the other end, Manning tried his luck from 18-yards but saw his effort deflected the wrong side of the post.
Three minutes later, Davies came close to double his tally for the night when he saw a distanced effort flash just past the far post.
Joel Butler had a nervous moment in the Westbury goal, on 57 minutes, when Noah Coates hunted down to block his clearance, but the ricochet bounced across the goal mouth.
Joshua Jenkins rose highest for Westbury to meet a Cross delivery, but Riley McGregor put the attacker under enough pressure that his header came to nothing on the hour mark.
Billy Osborn should’ve made it 2-0 on 64 minutes when he was sent through one-on-one with Butler, but the striker saw his effort smothered by the Westbury goalkeeper.
A minute later, Drew Robinson met a low cross at the back post, but his first time effort cannoned back off the post, keeping the score at 1-0.
The Acorns managed to survive a scare on 71 minutes, when a Jensen Wakefield driven effort was well cleared off the line, following a half-cleared corner.
Nathan Jenkins attempted an audacious effort from almost halfway, on 75 minutes, but saw his effort curl wide after a scuffed clearance from the Westbury ‘keeper.
It didn’t look like the Acorns were going to get a second goal when Morgan Ewing could only drag an effort wide, on 77 minutes, after he drove into the area and cut inside.
But, after being on the pitch for just nine minutes, Preston did find a second for the Acorns on 88 minutes, when he latched onto a Jenkins long ball before shrugging off his man and driving an effort past the goalkeeper, via a deflection.
That sealed an all important three points against a high-flying Westbury side and lifted the Acorns to just outside the play-off positions.
The Acorns are finally back at home on Saturday, as we take on joint league leaders Swindon Supermarine at the KMM Energy Stadium.
HALF TIME – WESTBURY UNITED 0-2 HARTPURY FC
STARTING XI: Locke (GK), Kent, McGregor, Walters, Robinson, Davies, Coates, Jenkins, Manning (Aldridge 50’), Ewing, Osborn © (Preston 79’)
UNUSED SUBS: Parsons, Hyett, Symons
WESTBURY XI: J. Butler (GK), D. Restorick, J. Witcombe, L. Thomas, B. Sarr, L. Graham, E. Mortimer-Taylor, J. Jenkins, E. Witchell, B. Cross, R. Bole ©
WESTBURY BENCH: A. Witchell, J. Wakefield, W. Taylor, J. Andrews, J. Jordan
Written by Sam Yapp
