WESTFIELDS were crowned Herefordshire County Challenge Cup winners for the first time in four years following a convincing 3-1 victory over Pegasus.

 

The most successful side in the competition’s history did suffer an early scare when Pegasus midfielder Matt James hit the cross bar with a thunderous 30-yard strike in the sixth minute.

At the other end of the pitch, Kyle Cassell threatened with two close-range headers before the deadlock was broken by the impressive Sean Powell.

The wing-back drove powerfully into the box and shot low past James Behan in the Pegasus goal in the 26th minute.

Pegasus’ response was immediate and Ollie Desborough was the quickest to respond when the Westfields' defence failed to clear a high ball. The winger’s shot took a wicked deflection off Matt McDonald to restore parity.

The ding-dong nature of the first half continued when Dan Stoneman fired Westfields back in front before the interval.

Cassell turned Kyle Panniers inside out and then drilled a fierce shot into the path of his flying Welsh winger who finished clinically with a first-time shot from 10 yards out.

Stoneman went close again after the break when substitutes Archie Muirhead and Harry Pitman combined well to set up a chance for the attacker.

And Fields fans did not have to wait long to celebrate a third goal as Josh Hunt capitalised on a defensive mix-up from the resulting goal kick.

Pegasus tried to play out from the back but Hunt capitalised and took the ball before tapping home into an empty net.

Marshalled superbly by the commanding Joe Davies in defence, Westfields were rarely threatened in the second half and Phil Glover’s men comfortably saw out the closing stages to seal a 16th county cup title in the club’s history.