Saturday 10th April 2021, friendly

West 2 (Grewal 6, 32)
Nelson 4 (Lloyd 43, Webb 58, 88, Zama 72)

West slipped to defeat against Nelson on their return to The Step Places Stadium.

Chris Rowley’s side held a two-goal lead after 32 minutes thanks to an Aarron Grewal brace, but the Admirals hit back with four unanswered strikes of their own to take the spoils.

The visitors started the brighter with Andrew Jones forced into a low save in the opening exchanges. But it was Grewal, who also registered in last week’s 5-1 win at Holmes Chapel, who scored Brookburn Road’s first goal in over five months with a fine low shot across the Nelson goalkeeper and into the corner of the net.

Grewal doubled his tally just after the half-hour mark following good work from Dontai Gabidon, whose cross from the left was converted from point-blank range.

Nelson reduced the deficit in the closing moments of the first half when Charlie Lloyd reacted first to convert a set-piece.

West made a series of changes during the half-time interval but lacked fluency in the second period, and Nathan Webb completed the Nelson comeback just before the hour.

Rowley’s side were reduced to half-chances – substitutes Reece Coley and Ben Elliott saw opportunities come and go before the visitors ran away with the game in the final 20 minutes thanks to Yves Zama and a second Webb goal.

West – first half: Jones, Hancock, Westall, Taylor, Heathcote, Clarke, Gabidon, Gavin, Elliott, Ryan, Grewal.

Second half: Jones, Hancock, Westall, Tinker, Heathcote, Dibble, Matthews, Hall, Coley, Swift, Grewal.