POSTAL A.L.C. 0 - WESTDYKE 5

1. Grant Cormack

2. Andrew Riddell

3. Bruce Webster

4. Matthew Hamilton

5. James Steele

6. Luca Giulianotti

7. Fletcher Stewart

8. Alex Clark

9. Harry Macauley

10. Murray Hunter

11. Hachichele Kazhikamalia

Bench: 

12. Andreas Jones (S)

13. Mark Robb  (S)

14. Scott Stuart (S)

15. Fraser Smith (S)

16. Vinnie Buggie (S)

17. Mohammed Al-Gabri (S)

Postal ALC suffered a difficult afternoon as a clinical Westdyke AFC side ran out 5-0 winners, despite the home side creating several opportunities and forcing a number of excellent saves from the visitors' goalkeeper.

Westdyke got the match underway, but it was Postal who fashioned the first meaningful opportunity. After five minutes, Macauley battled well to win a corner on the right. Andrew Riddell delivered an inviting cross which found James Steele, whose powerful header was struck cleanly but unfortunately straight into the grateful hands of the Westdyke goalkeeper.

Postal continued to ask questions from set pieces and, in the ninth minute, another Riddell corner found Hunter, who rose highest but could only direct his header over the crossbar.

The visitors took the lead against the run of play after 12 minutes in unfortunate fashion. A long ball forward appeared comfortable for Cormack to collect, but the Postal goalkeeper spilled possession at the feet of Westdyke's number nine, who accepted the gift and calmly rolled the ball into the empty net to make it 1-0.

Cormack responded well to the setback and kept Postal in the contest moments later. Westdyke's dangerous number nine twice found space in the 14th and 16th minutes, but Cormack produced two excellent saves to deny the striker.

Postal almost found an immediate equaliser in the 21st minute. Riddell's perfectly delivered free-kick was met by Hunter, whose header looked destined for the corner until the Westdyke goalkeeper somehow clawed it away with a superb goal-line save.

From the resulting corner, Bruce Webster rose highest but could only head over the bar as Postal continued to pile on the pressure.

Westdyke remained a threat on the counter and, in the 23rd minute, another long ball caught Steele underneath it. The visitors' number nine brought it under control but dragged his effort wide of Cormacks  goal.

Postal came agonisingly close to levelling the match in the 25th minute following another set piece. Webster headed a free-kick back across goal, forcing another save from the goalkeeper. The rebound fell kindly to Hunter, whose effort was bravely blocked before the loose ball landed at Macauleys feet just five yards from goal. With the target at his mercy, his strike crashed against the crossbar, leaving Postal wondering how they hadn't equalised.

Having survived that spell of pressure, Westdyke doubled their advantage eight minutes before the interval. A ball delivered from the visitors' right found their number nine unmarked in the penalty area, and he calmly slid his finish beyond Cormack to make it 2-0.

The visitors nearly added a third just before half-time when their number nine spun away from Steele and raced through on goal, but a crucial block denied what looked like a certain goal. At the other end, Macauley tried his luck from long range in first-half stoppage time, but his effort drifted wide.

Postal started the second half looking to get back into the contest, but Westdyke continued to threaten. Ten minutes after the restart, the visitors' number 11 timed his run perfectly to break the offside trap down Postal's right-hand side, only for Cormack to make another important save in the one-on-one situation.

Postal's best opportunity of the second half arrived in the 63rd minute when Steele's well-struck free-kick was heading on target before the Westdyke goalkeeper made yet another save to preserve his clean sheet.

Substitute Jones looked lively after coming on and fired a shot wide in the 75th minute as Postal continued to search for a route back into the game.

Westdyke effectively sealed the points in the 82nd minute. Cormack punched clear a corner, but the clearance fell to the visitors' number 15, who unleashed a superb first-time strike from around 25 yards that flew into the net for 3-0.

The visitors added a fourth three minutes later after Postal surrendered possession on the left through Mo. Westdyke moved the ball quickly through midfield before releasing their right winger, who drilled a low finish beyond Cormack.

Westdyke continued to press and almost grabbed another from a corner in the 88th minute, but number 17 headed over from a free header.

The scoring was completed in the final minute. Another Westdyke corner was only partially cleared to number 12, who nutmegged Buggie before delivering the ball back into the area. After another cut-back caught the Postal defence flat-footed, a Westdyke attacker was left with the simple task of converting from close range to make it 5-0.

MoM – N/A

Goals – N/A

Booked –  N/A

Red Card –  N/A