Westwood welcomed Glasgow Nazerene to Kirktonholme for their 4^th game of the league campaign.  After an emphatic 8-0 win away to Anniesland, confidence was high, perhaps too high, in the Wessie ranks.

The game started at a good tempo, both sides passing the ball well and holding firm defensively, as the first 15 mins produced only tentative efforts from both sides.  The deadlock was broken on 20 mins when after a Weswood corner was cleared, it fell to Steff McKenna, who eluded a Nazerene player before hitting it goalwards, and seen it palmed in by the goalkeeper, who will feel he could have done better.  Westwood continued to make chances and could have doubled their lead, but the Glasgow goalie saved smartly from a Davie Wilson strike.

Then, a crazy spell of ten minutes at the end of the first half would see Westwood go from relatively comfortable leaders to down and out at half time.   After managing to turn goalwards, the Glasgow Nazerene striker smashed in a shot , which McKenna could only get a weak right hand to, and it fell into the net to make it 1-1.  Then after bursting from deep, the Naz midfielder danced by 3 Westwood players unchallenged, rounded the hapless McKenna and stroked into the net via Titch, who was unlucky not to clear.

Things only went from bad to worse for Wessie as a long throw wasn’t dealt with and ended up in the back of the net after McKenna made a hash of an attempted punch clear to make it 3-1.  Everything Naz hit seemed to go in the net and this was demonstrated once again right on half time as an overhit cross by the Nazerene striker ended up in the top corner to complete a terrible end to the first half for Westwood as they went in 4-1 down at the break.

Westwood came out for the 2^nd half and seemed to regain some composure and controlled the play for the first ten minutes.  They got some reward as John McGonigle reduced the arrears with a front post header.  Wessie took heart from this and almost came within one goal of their opponents, but Graeme Lynn’s header rebounded agonizingly off the upright to keep the score at 4-2.

If there was any hope of salvaging anything from the game, these hopes evaporated after 70 minutes when a Glasgow Nazerene corner was headed home from close range by their substitute striker.  Non existent marking and slow reactions had cost Wessie all day and this goal was no exception.

Worse was to follow ten minutes from time when the Naz midfielder smashed a daisy cutter from an acute angle into the far corner to complete a terrible day at the office for Westwood.  As they received a bye in the Fraser trophy, there is no game next week, but there will be no time to dwell on the performance as a tough game away to Greenbank follows the break.  This was hopefully just a blip in what has been an encouraging start to the season.