Raynes Park Vale made it three wins on the bounce - but not without giving their fans a late scare - as they edged past Westfield in a fiery five-goal thriller.

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On a cracking afternoon for football, Vale came flying out of the traps. The crowd were in good voice, and so were the home side's passing boots, with David Omilabu and Trevan Robinson causing early headaches for the Westfield back line.

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It was Robinson who broke the deadlock on 23 minutes, sliding in to convert Omilabu's dangerous ball across the face of the goal. The home side were up and running.

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Vale cranked up the pressure, and it paid off just before the break. Juevan Spencer whipped in a peach of a cross, and Chad Yassin-Sheriff took off to meet it with a bullet header into the top corner. The keeper didn't even move. Vale 2-0. Cruising.

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Yassin-Sheriff had been booked four minutes earlier for a clumsy challenge, but his goal had the home fans singing him back into his good books.

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Westfield rang the changes at half-time, but it made no difference - Vale were still in control. Just eight minutes into the half, Omilabu got the goal his performance deserved, smashing the ball into the top-left stanchion. 3-0, and it looked all over.

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But Westfield hadn't read the script.

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After a string of Vale subs - including the lively Francisco Gomes, Chidi Linhart and Ollie Cook - the game flipped on its head. in the 84th minute, Isaac Brown picked up a cross-field pass and tucked it past Ali Secka to give the visitors a glimmer of hope.

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One minute later, panic stations

 

Brown again - this time dinking a clever lob over Secka after the keeper hesitated. From 3-0 up and cruising to 3-2 and clinging on, Vale suddenly had to dig deep.

Westfield pushed, Vale wobbled, but the hosts held their nerve. A late surge from the visitors was snuffed out, and the whistle went to huge relief from the home faithful.

 

Job done, just about. A win's a win and Vale march on, three from m three and still flying. But they know they can't switch off like that again. 

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