West traveled to Whickham on Tuesday evening for a 7:30pm kick-off at the Glebe Sports Ground. Whickham have had three FA Cup games, including a replay with Dunston UTS, meaning they had played five league games before facing West, recording one win and four losses. West visited on the back of an impressive 4-0 home win against West Allotment Celtic.

West dominated possession from kick-off, and were looking to create space early on. The first real chance of the game came on 11 minutes. Josh Scott was played in behind, who took a touch and his shot went narrowly wide. After 25 minutes, West were controlling possession, but were unable to capitalise and record the first goal. Dark clouds rolled over and there was rain and wind for large parts of the first half. West managed to take the lead on the half hour mark. James Harrison laid it off to Layton Watts, who drilled the ball into the bottom corner. 1-0 West, and deservedly so. Less than 10 minutes later, Watts made it 2, with an exceptional free kick. The ball was perfectly placed 25 yards out, Whickham’s three-man wall looked to be out of position. Watts curled the ball into the corner, with the keeper standing still. West went into half-time comfortably leading 2-0.

The second half was more of the same for West. It only took five minutes to get the third, Watts’ corner converted by James Harrison. As the away team kept applying pressure, West managed to get two goals in three minutes. A quick ball into Alfie Conway’s feet from Charlie Wood, and the former took a touch and rolled it in to the net to make it 4-0. Cruising. Josh Scott had a chance to make it five on 63 minutes. Luke Bailey played a ball into Scott who was through on goal, he took a touch and fired just over. Over the next 10 minutes, West made three changes, Jermaine Metz, Lee Hume and Nathan Greenwood replacing Alfie Conway, Luke Bailey and James Harrison. On 77 minutes, Metz took a touch and laid it off to Greenwood, who took a touch and side footed past the keeper, 5-0. Metz was lively down the right, on his return from injury, and almost had another assist, but the chance went wide. There was time for one more goal, and it was a special one. Watts rode a challenge from Whickham and unleashed a long-range effort to secure the hat-trick. West were forced into a change just before full-time, as Hume limped off to be replaced by Liam Potter.  

We spoke to West goalkeeper Nick Liversedge after the game, on the back of two important consecutive clean sheets. 

“It was a great performance from everyone involved tonight. It gives us momentum heading into the next game with two good wins on the bounce and unbeaten in the last four. We’ve created a lot of chances over the last few games and were clinical tonight. It’s great to get another clean sheet and the whole team is looking more solid, giving very little away.”

Full-Time: Whickham 0-6 West Auckland Town 

Competition: Northern League Division One

Attendance: 150