FOOTBALL: Cuss steps up to the plate to save penalty for Westfields

The midfielder moved into goal after Harvey Rivers received his marching orders for bringing down a Quorn player.

And he showed he could withstand the pressure after correctly diving to his left to keep the spot-kick out.

“We played a game last year and Matt Gwynne had a bad back,” said Cuss.

“Sean Edwards asked me if I would go in goal if he got injured and I said I wouldn’t mind.

“He didn’t get injured so I didn’t have to go in goal.

“But on Saturday we didn’t have a goalkeeper on the bench.

“We normally have Rauri Wargent but he has gone back to Bartestree.

“I thought it was better to take someone from up front to go in goal so I changed into Harvey’s shirt and out his gloves on.”

Cuss added that Rivers gave him some advice before facing the penalty.

“The player was right-footed so Harvey told me to open up my body and dive to my left.

“Luckily I guessed right and saved it.”

Cuss was in goal for about 30 minutes but said, apart from the penalty, he had a relatively quiet afternoon between the sticks.

“I didn’t have to do much apart from take some goal kicks and make some catches,” he said.

Quorn also finished the game with 10 men after Sam Hollis was sent off for a high foot on Westfields debutant Adam Powell.

It was Westfields who started the brightest with Dean Lee causing problems down the left-hand side.

Continued pressure saw Craig Jones whip in a cross-shot that was saved by Quorn’s goalkeeper before Matt Reeve unleashed a 25-yard thunderbolt that was matched by an athletic save. Rivers then had to dive low to keep out Kris Nurse’s effort and Joel Edwards saw his glancing header cleared off the line for Westfields.

The home side should have gone in front shortly after the break but Luke Corbett’s shot rattled the crossbar. Rivers then made an outstanding fingertip save to deny Quorn before he saw red.

But Cuss came to the rescue to ensure Westfields kept a clean sheet.