Westfields 6 Coventry Sphinx 1

WESTFIELDS raced into the third round of the FA Vase despite the disruption caused by the visitors' late arrival.

And Fields also had to overcome the handicap of two late dismissals to earn their passage into the next phase and a trip to fellow Midland Alliance club Alvechurch.

"It was a very good win for us, especially as we only had nine men in the latter stages after Jamie Cuss and Brad Birch were sent off, as well as one of the Sphinx players," said coach Dan Connor, who also turned out in goal for the city side.

"We have picked up lately as we have had more of a settled side.

"Earlier in the season we were really disrupted with holidays, injuries and suspensions."

The match kicked off at 4pm after Sphinx were delayed in transit by an incident on the M42.

But the delay was of some benefit to Fields as Connor admitted.

"I was running late and didn't get to the ground until two minutes to three, a couple of minutes before the match should have kicked off," said the former Hereford United keeper.

"So the delay took the pressure off me a bit."

Fields made a strong start and took the lead in the 12th minute when Carl Morgan sped on to Phil Glover's pass and his cross was diverted into his own net by Adam Bilic.

Four minutes later, Alex O'Leary and Jamie Insall combined to set up Cuss for the second.

Matt Bannister pulled a goal back for the visitors and Connor had to make a couple of good saves to preserve the lead at the interval.

Early in the second half, Insall was brought down in the area and converted the spot-kick himself to extend the lead.

More good work by Insall and O'Leary set up Birch for the fourth before Insall got his second of the game from a Morgan cross.

With Coventry struggling to rein in the swift Westfields attack, Insall completed his hat-trick when he raced on to a pass from Glover to lob the Sphinx keeper.

The trip to Alvechurch in the next round gives Fields an opportunity for revenge.

"It's disappointing to be drawn away but it's against a club we know plenty about," said Westfields chief executive Andy Morris.

"They have beaten us at allpay.park in the MFA League this season so we have a great incentive to gain revenge.

"It's a difficult tie but the focus was to be in the third-round draw," admitted Connor. "Then you get whoever you get."