Saturday 23rd February 2018, NWCFL Premier Division

Winsford United 3 (Madeley 52, 60, 69)
West 2 (Bailey pen 22, pen 66)
Att: 220

West contrived to fall to a dismal defeat against Winsford United as their hopes of avoiding relegation from the Premier Division took a damaging blow.

In a match desperately low on quality, West held a slender advantage at the break thanks to a Tom Bailey penalty. However, the visitors folded after the interval to allow Winsford’s Sam Madeley to claim a hat-trick, with West leaving empty-handed despite Bailey levelling the scores with another spot-kick.

The pressure was back on David Powell’s side after they fell into the relegation zone against Charnock Richard last weekend, but they did start promisingly in mid-Cheshire. Danny McLaughlin’s through ball set Jamie Coombes free after 16 minutes, but Coombes’ shot was too close to Winsford keeper Joshua Samberg. Samberg did pick the ball out of his net four minutes later after McLaughlin converted debutant Robert Bourne’s pass, but linesman’s flag came to the home side’s rescue.

The visitors made a breakthrough halfway through the first period when Samberg needlessly rushed from his line to upend McLaughlin. Bailey assumed responsibility to send the Winsford keeper the wrong way and give West an invaluable lead. Winsford pressed after the opening goal aided by a series of corners and free-kicks, but Marcus Burgess remained untroubled until half time.

Winsford were back on level terms within seven minutes of the restart – McLaughlin’s square ball inside the home side’s half was cut out, and the resulting counter-attack ended with Madeley squeezing the ball past Burgess and inside the far post. Madeley nodded a left-wing cross past the West keeper eight minutes later to complete a quick turnaround.

West were handed a way back into the match when McLaughlin was again felled in the area after 66 minutes, with Bailey again assured from the spot to score his third penalty in two games. But a woeful second half was summed up three minutes later when Madeley took advantage of generous West marking to bundle in another set-piece.

The visitors never looked likely to equalise again – Madeley came closest to another goal when his drive was parried behind by Burgess – and now have nine games left to avoid playing Division One football next season.

West: Burgess, Marsh (Tinker 70), Pearson, Sergeant (Dixon 70), Eiselt, Horner, Bourne, Eckersley, Bailey, Coombes (Shangaya 79), McLaughlin. Not used: Miranda, Tsegaye.