Wrington Redhill started their Uhlsport Somerset League Division One season with a 1-0 defeat at Westfield on Saturday.
On a blistering hot day and very firm and dry pitch the Redskins quickly got into their stride playing a high tempo game with plenty of good football despite the heat.
The first half was virtually one-way traffic as numerous scoring chances were carved out but the final conversion into goals eluded the visitors with five really good openings spurned.
A strong penalty claim for a handball infringement by a Westfield defender was rejected by the referee.
The midfield trio of Ollie Clements, Sam Parkinson and Rory Thomas had a full grip on proceedings allowing full-backs Jordan Bonner and Chris Holland to venture forward but both missed out on finding the net.
With Jack Hutchings, Joe Creese and Reece Ferguson-Obamwonyi also spurning good chances somehow the scoreline was blank at half-time.
The second period continued in the same vein with the lively Ferguson-Obamwonyi causing the home defence continuous problems but somehow they held out with excellent support from in-form goalkeeper Billy Barter.
Creese and Hutchings were unable to convert other chances that fell their way and the nearest to a goal was when a Hutchings shot was trickling to the goalline and looked to heading in, only to be cleared at the last second by a desperate defender.
Leigh White and Ethan Johnson looked very comfortable in the heart of Wrington’s defence and goalkeeper Matt Hill was not really troubled.
With tiring legs as the game approached its latter stages Ethan Williams replaced Thomas in midfield and 17-year-old Luke Baggaley made his first appearance for the club, replacing Holland, and acquitted himself well and sent an effort wide.
Despite Wrington's total dominance of the game, in the 89th minute Westfield’s only attempt at goal ended up in the back of the net from a speculative 25-yard shot from Sam Millard.
Redhill return to action this Saturday for their second successive away game when they take on Minehead at the Irnham Road Recreation Ground at 3pm.
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