The Reds began the game in a very confident, aggressive and attacking mood and really should have been three or four goals ahead after only twenty minutes.

Indeed, Gary ‘Ando’ Anderson - who had a cracking game at Centre Forward - created a swag of scoring opportunities only to see his team-mates squander them again and again.

First, Anderson made a fine run down the left wing, crossed sublimely to Harvey, who thumped the ball onto the Blues upright from only metres out; second, Ando’s pinpoint cross from the right was headed over the bar by Hayward with an open goal beckoning.

The Reds did eventually score the first goal of the game.

Robbie Rincon made a mad solo dash into a crowded Wanderers’ penalty box and although he was emphatically tackled, the ball spilled out nicely to the in-running Aaron Hayward who thundered it into the roof of the Blues’ net.

Having opened in such promising fashion, for the last twenty-five minutes of the half Westlands strangely seemed to go to sleep somewhat.

They did play some attractive one touch soccer across the middle of the park - and on the thirty-ninth minute Hayward did hit the bar with a twenty metre thunderbolt - but really United did not look like scoring.

With few minutes left before the interval, the Blues surprising pulled level thereby punishing the Reds for all the glorious scoring opportunities they had wasted early on.

Ben Rowlands collected the ball on the half-way line and played a superb cross to Stuart Dawson who missed it with his head completely!

Fortunately for Wanderers the ball eventually arrived at the back post, to an un-marked Ryan Tullett, who gleefully slammed it left-footed into the back of the Westlands’ goal.

In the second half the Red Devils once more came out of the dressing room in an attacking mood and scored two unanswered goals within the opening fifteen minutes.

The first was an audacious twenty-five metre chip by Rincon which evaded the keeper’s fingers by inches; the second, by Michael Harvey, who having raced onto Anderson’s sublime near post cross, cleverly flicked the ball past the hapless Blues’ keeper.

Wanderers have regularly found themselves two or more goals behind this season with seemingly nothing left to lose except pride.

Whilst in such dire situations perhaps the Blues coaches should think about altering their formation to a more attacking one.

For example, why not throw all caution to the wind and play with only three at the back with the keeper acting as a makeshift sweeper?

This would then enable the Blues to have a real go at scoring some goals by pushing more players forward.

Perhaps have an attacking five man midfield or better still, three out and out strikers.

Of course, such fundamental shifts in formation are easier said than done … but keeping things the same having fallen two goals behind has merely resulted in a guaranteed loss.

Best players for the Reds: Anderson, Edmondson, Hayward and Rincon.

Stand-out players for the Blues: Dawson, Ben Rowlands and Cunniff, whilst young Ivor Downing had a fine game at left-back.

Reserves

Westlands won a very competitive encounter by one goal to nil.

Scorer: Tallen Kilpatrick.