WESTFIELDS manager Sean Edwards was delighted with his side's comeback against Lye Town, but was left bemused by the performance of referee Andy Ellis.

Late goals from Craig Jones and James Febery saw Westfields drew 2-2 against their Midland Football League Premier Division title rivals.

But Edwards felt Ellis stopped play too many times than was necessary and questioned the lack of minutes that were added on at the end of the first half.

"It's more about him than the game," said Edwards.

"It's a top-of-the-table clash, so there's going to be a few tackles in, but he was stopping the game for two or three minutes every time.

"It was a ridiculous game of football.

"They obviously celebrated like they had won the league, but it's never over until the fat lady sings and we scored two in injury time.

"I was giving the ref stick at the end of the first half because I calculated seven minutes of injury time and we played three. It was a great game in difficult conditions, with nearly 200 people here.

"It was really miserable and we had a good game spoilt by a referee."

Edwards added that the three substitutes who came on – Chris Ham, Ben Miller and Nick Harrhy – changed the game.

"It utilises the squad and shows we have got a squad here," said Edwards.

"The three lads that came on changed the game and it's going to be like that all season.

"We're there for the taking now and are happy with a point when we're 2-0 down and they're celebrating like they've won the league.

"Nothing is won in December, Alvechurch are on a good run but they should have with the amount of players they've got – they must be trying to sign every man and his dog.

"But we've got a group of players here that want to play for Westfields."

Jones, who scored an 89th minute free-kick before his set piece was poked home by Febery in stoppage time, also felt Lye celebrated too early.

"I feel if we had scored early in the first half when Greavsie had the chance, we would have blown them away," said Jones.

"But instead they get the goal and it's hard because they slow everything down.

"The second one wasn't a great free kick, but they're the sort of goals that we haven't been getting of late.

"Hopefully it will knock them now and we can kick on from."

Since Westfields' FA Cup run, Westfields have stuttered in the league, while also bowing out of the FA Vase.

They are 11 points behind leaders Alvechurch, albeit with six games in hand, with Lye sandwiched in between.

"Even during the FA Cup run we stuttered a bit and lost at Alvechurch," added Jones.

"We're playing ok, we're just lacking goals.

"We've just got to dig in."

Westfields had a great chance to open the scoring in the 12th minute when Richard Greaves somehow fired wide from six yards out.

That miss proved costly as Jack Pearlman curled a delightful effort home four minutes later to put Lye ahead.

Westfields struggled to create too many chances, although Dan Polan was unlucky not to divert the ball home after Lye goalkeeper Dean Coleman parried a shot.

The match was dominated by the amount of yellow cards that were dished out and it looked that it was going to be a miserable day for Westfields when Sam Tye made it 2-0 with two minutes left.

But Jones' free-kick beat Coleman to reduce the deficit before Alex Dallison received a second yellow card to leave Lye with 10 men.

And Westfields salvaged an unlikely draw four minutes into stoppage time when Febery stabbed the ball home.