Toolstation Western League
First Division
Chard Town 1, Westbury United 1

SATURDAY brought the replay of the abandoned match from earlier in the season, when with only minutes to play and Chard leading 4-2 the game was brought to a premature end due to the heavy rain.

With Westbury vying for a promotion place and the home side wishing to prove a point after the controversial abandonment, the game produced some good competitive football played at a fast pace, with a share of the points on the final whistle being a fair result.

The match opened in explosive style, with a goal for the Robins after only three minutes.

Good work down the middle of the park found Max Westlake in position on the edge of the box to produce a brilliant first-time volley which flew past visiting goalkeeper Lewis Porter and into the net.

With end-to-end play, several free-kicks and corners followed for Chard, but Westbury got back into the game on 20 minutes.

Following a home corner, the visitors broke away into the Chard half, with Mark Robinson going through to beat keeper Jon Hill and equalise.

Further chances fell for the away side, with a shot by Robinson hitting the corner of the goalpost and bar on 30 minutes, and an effort saved by Hill minutes later.

Late in the first half, the hosts produced several scoring opportunities, with a James Boyland shot cleared off the line on 38 minutes, before a good ball from Westlake set up Andy Holmes, but his effort went just wide.

The sides went into the interval level at one goal each.

The second period continued at the same pace, with an early corner for Chard and some good deliveries from Liam Cleal, but no second goal.

For their part the visitors also pushed to produce an opening, but sound defending by the Robins' defence and a fine save by Jon Hill kept the home goal intact.

On 80 minutes, Boyland got in a good position to produce an effort across the face of the goal, with a further shot saved well by Porter at the expense of a corner.

The final 10 minutes was a frantic affair, with both sides coming close to finding a winning goal.

Westbury had an effort go across the face of the home goal, and Holmes cleared the ball off the line.

For Chard Boyland went through, only for his shot to be well covered by Porter, and in the final minutes a cross by Taoufik Ben-Salem saw a great effort by Cleal hit the bar, as the Robins were inches away from a winner.

Although the game was a bit feisty at times, credit must go to both sides for providing a good contest, well controlled by referee Kevin Slade.

Chard Town: Jonathan Hill, Ben Haines, Oliver Pearson, Andrew Holmes, Kieran Bailey, Jack Dicker, Max Westlake, Matthew Howell (Patrick Golden 82), Taoufik Ben-Salem, James Boyland, Liam Cleal.
Subs not used: Stuart Parris, Ryan Parris.

Next up for Chard, who sit 10th in the table, is a match at sixth-placed Devizes Town, tomorrow (Tuesday, ko 7.45pm), before a Thursday night match at Bishop Sutton (ko 7.30pm).