Westbury slipped to their sixth defeat in their last seve league matches away to surprise league pacesetters Elmore.

The home side have improved significantly from the last few seasons, playing the same open, attacking style of football but with a stronger defence, leading to better results.

Westbury had the better of the opening half an hour and Elmore keeper Luke Phillips did well to save from Simon Millard and Beau Blakeman, while the same players also had efforts that went off target.

Elmore’s young strike trio began to cause problems towards half time, with Alex Shaftoe forced into fine goalkeeping to deny Tom Kelly, Aaron Deeks and Kieron Rapo, however Shaftoe was helpless on 38 minutes when Kelly and Rapo combined to set up Luke Passmore who hit a fine first time strike to make it 1-0.

Play flowed from end to end after half time and Paul Beavers came agonisingly close to equalising when Phillips flapped at Nick Mead’s corner and Beavers touched the ball just wide.

Mead himself then got in and skewed his effort into the side netting. At the other end, Rapo and Deeks were guilty of poor finishing from close range before Shaftoe saved well after a fine piece of skilful play by Kelly.

Millard headed one chance wide and in United’s next attack, Beavers had a shot blocked which Millard latched on to and put an overhead effort wide. More chances came at both ends when Luke Stanley’s superb fizzing cross was put wide by Beavers and Deeks played in Rapo, who forced Shaftoe into another save.

However the game’s main talking point came on 81 muuntes when, with Westbury seeking an equaliser, the home team launched a pacy counter attack that saw Rapo break into the box and be challenged by David Whyte - the referee awarded a penalty and then consulted with his assistant, who went ahead with the spot kick decision despite originally flagging for a corner.

Rapo struck the kick past Shaftoe to seal the points for his side.

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