Sheerwater exited the Aldershot Senior Cup with a 2-1 defeat at home to Westfield in the quarter-finals last Tuesday night (March 26).

Both managers rested players with important league games to come – Sheerwater need points to stay up and Westfield need points to maintain their play-off push.

Step 5 Sheerwater started brightly against their Step 4 opponents and forced an early corner that was headed clear. Westfield then forced a couple of corners but Alfie Mickley claimed one confidently and Louis McGrane headed the other clear.

Sheerwater got the ball down and played some decent passing football in horrendous conditions as the rain lashed down. This was rewarded on eight minutes when Liam Avery’s fine pass put George Sellick in a one-on-one situation and he shot hard and low left-footed. Rileigh Hebditch got down and saved but could only push the ball out and George Onwusonye pounced to open the scoring from six yards.

With more clinical finishing the Sheers could have gone further ahead. Elliot York, who worked his socks off, flashed a shot wide and Onwusonye had a shot on the turn blocked. McGrane then hit a long pass over the Westfield defence and Onwusonye raced clear but Hebditch just did enough to thwart the striker. Hebditch was called upon again and his clearance went straight to York about 45 yards out and quick thinking saw him try his luck but Billy Nutbeam did well to block the effort.

Westfield started to get on top as the half wore on and Matthew Bryant made a superb tackle to deny Alfie Adaje as he looked to shoot. The equaliser arrived on 35 minutes when Archy Taylor delivered a fine ball across the six-yard box and Jamarie Brissett slotted home. Theo White then curled an effort wide for Westfield and another effort from him was saved by Mickley. Westfield took the lead with the last kick of the half. Adaje turned on the edge of the box and found the bottom corner despite a valiant effort by Mickley.

Both sides made a lot of changes as the second half wore on, but it was still a good contest. White had two efforts from outside the box for the visitors – Mickley saved one and the other curled wide. Morris Musslewhite almost equalised for Sheerwater with a cracking low drive that was heading in but an outstretched boot diverted the ball away for a corner. With the last move of the match Musslewhite crossed to the near post and York got ahead of his marker but from six yards out he was just unable to make contact.

Westfield progress to the semi-finals, leaving Sheerwater to concentrate on their final four league games.