Winsford United come from behind to beat West Didsbury

That isn’t a slight on Winsford United, who moved further away from the North West Counties League’s Premier Division drop zone after coming from behind to prevail.

They still have work to do.

A tense and scrappy opening to the game continued despite Matty Kay meeting Ashley Leather’s corner with a glancing header to put the home team in front.

It jolted Blues, and they twice had opportunities to level from a set-piece through player-manager Lee Duckworth and captain Will Foster.

West did not heed the warning, and Obi Anoruo nodded inside the near upright to restore parity after meeting a Dave Short corner in the seconds before the break.

West created the first opening after the interval when Kay sent Jamie Coombes clear on goal but the Gibraltar international shot too close to alert goalkeeper Michael Langley.

Winsford responded, and efforts from Anoruo and Short were off-target.

They persisted though, and Anoruo squared for his strike partner to steer into an empty net on the hour – a decisive moment in the match.

Short and then Lee Jones, restored to a more familiar role in midfield, were wayward when well-placed before Anoruo brought the best from West custodian Marcus Burgess.

The home team grew increasingly desperate as time ran out, and committed bodies forward.

Leather flashed a shot wide after Kay teed him up, while the referee was unimpressed with substitute Zac Cooper’s appeal for a penalty, as Winsford resisted.

West | Burgess (GK), Tinker, Pearson, Gavin (Cooper 66), Rogers, Eckersley, Leather, Sergeant, Coombes (Shaw 66), Kay, Woods (Hall 63) Subs not used Eiselt, Potts Goal Kay 28 Booked Gavin

Winsford | Langley (GK), Skolorzynski, Boyle (France 70), Jones, Lee Duckworth, Foster, Howell (Collins 73), Hopper, Anoruo, Short (Joe Duckworth 86), Elliott Sub not used Clarke Goals Onoruo 45 (+3), Short 61 Booked Boyle, Lee Duckworth, Elliott

Attendance 304

Additional reporting by Tony Duckworth