Westfield maintained their push for the top five with a magnificent victory away to second-placed Marlow.

It was a superb result, especially taking into account playing the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time with ten men after Caleb Wright’s red card following two bookings.

The game did not get off to the best of starts for Westfield when the hosts took an early lead through Benjamin Mulley, who emphatically smashed home into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Although Westfield recovered well it took a moment of pure magic just before the break to draw the scores level. Jordan Alves received the ball from Gogonas before curling into the top corner past Watkins from 25 yards with his left foot.

Westfield took the lead when a mix-up in defence saw Alves through again ten minutes into the second half, and when one-on-one with Watkins he slipped the ball under the keeper to turn the match around.

After Caleb Wright’s 68th-minute dismissal it was backs to the wall for the visiting defence. Tobi Adaje had a glorious chance to hit a third on the break but was thwarted by Watkins. Dave Tarpey fired over with the home side’s best chance and Westfield held on for a crucial win.

Westfield manager Ian Selley said: “I thought we started very slowly. They’re a good side, they deserve to be second. They’re hard working and hard to play against. After sort of 30 minutes the boys clawed themselves back into the game and I think overall we deserved the win.

“I think it was unfortunate we got a red card with Caleb but I thought we dominated most of it apart from the last 20 minutes when we were playing against an extra player.

“We’re pleased because at half-time I asked the question again: ‘Do you want to get into the play-offs?’ I said this next 45 minutes is ultimately where the season’s come to, so we need to make sure we get something out of the game, and the boys came back, and they stuck together, and they got the result. I thought it was great.”

Selley said the players “tend to motivate themselves” when it comes to playing top clubs such as Marlow.

He added: “We knew they’d be motivated. We had a game plan but we started sloppy, we weren’t on the front foot. We weren’t going in behind too much, we weren’t anticipating the ball in behind, and when we conceded the goal we deserved to concede it. But I think that sort of woke us up a little bit and then we put the game plan into place and we were much better.

“It just shows where the group have come. When we’ve gone behind, we’ve gone behind by two goals before and come back and won the game, so there’s a real closeness there.

“I do believe we deserve to be in those play-off spots, but again we’re currently sitting sixth, which is where we’ve been for about ten months. Hopefully over the next week we can change that around and get ourselves into fifth.”

Westfield were due to travel to Badshot Lea on Tuesday night, and on Saturday they go to Ashford Town (Middlesex). Next Tuesday they host Northwood, and they end their league season on April 27 at home to bottom club Corinthian-Casuals.

They are three points behind fourth-placed Southall and two behind fifth-placed Raynes Park Vale in the Isthmian League South Central Division, with a game in hand on both of them.