Saturday 9th November 2019, Macron Cup second round

West 6 (Eckersley 8, 53, Steer 29, Grimshaw 59, 64, Tinker 90)
Alsager Town 1 (Boyce 25, Enow sent off 77)
Att: 188

West overpowered Alsager Town to set up a Macron Cup third round tie at home to Runcorn Town.

Matt Eckersley and Lee Grimshaw claimed braces, with Ben Steer and Josh Tinker adding further goals as West recorded their biggest win of the season so far. Alsager were briefly back on level terms through Ben Boyne, but ultimately had no answer to an effervescent West display and finished a man down after Martin Enow was shown a second yellow card.

This comprehensive win was a perfect tonic after a frustrating last few weeks with West having enough chances to rack up double figures. It didn’t take long for Eckersley to open the scoring, taking down a James Sigsworth corner and firing low beyond visiting keeper James McClenaghan.

Sigsworth almost claimed a second assist when Grimshaw nodded his cross the wrong side of the post, but the visitors were presented with an equaliser midway through the first period in surreal circumstances – the usually sure-footed Andrew Jones caught in possession on the edge of the box, with Boyne getting enough on the ball to force it over the line.

But Steer ensured Jones’ error was consigned to the history books four minutes later when, after Dylan Moloney’s shot had rattled the crossbar, he picked up the rebound and deftly clipped the ball over McClenaghan from the edge of the box to give West a half-time lead.

West were dominant after the break and almost all of the play taking place in the visitors’ half – Sigsworth and Eckersley again combined eight minutes into the second period, Eckersley powering in a free kick to create daylight between the sides. And within eleven minutes, Grimshaw had turned the afternoon into a rout with a deserved double – Sigsworth was again integral to West’s fourth, interchanging with Grimshaw before the latter fired low into the corner, before Grimshaw latched onto Steer’s through ball to slide home number five.

The visitors’ afternoon was unravelling and they played out the final 13 minutes with ten men after Enow, who had already been booked, collected a second caution for chopping down Sigsworth as the West man progressed down the right wing. Sigsworth had a couple of opportunities to add his own name to the scoresheet, but he could at least claim another assist with the final action of the game – after another flowing move, this time involving Moloney and Matt Cook, the West winger’s shot was turned over the line by Josh Tinker.

West: A. Jones, Cook, Cooper, C. Jones (Tinker 62), Middleton, Eckersley, Steer (Boland 72), Gavin, Grimshaw (Dale 76), Moloney, Sigsworth.

West media player of the match: James Sigsworth.