Sixth-placed Westfield closed to within one point of the Isthmian League South Central Division playoff positions by completing back-to-back wins with a 3-0 victory over Ascot United in a rather bizarre encounter at the Racecourse Ground.

After completely dominating the early stages, and opening the scoring in the 12th minute when Jordan Alves inadvertently backheeled Billy Nutbeam's low cross into the net, the game took its first turn in the 20th minute.

Home keeper Mark Scott clattered Jacob Breckon with a dangerous tackle as the last man between Breckon and the goal, resulting in Breckon being stretchered off and Scott sent off. With no keeper on the bench, defender Dan Bailey went between the sticks and gave a good account of himself before being finally beaten by Manolis Gogonas’ stinging drive shortly before the break.

Gogonas smashed home a 67th minute penalty after Tobi Adaje was brought down by Bailey, and five minutes later Ascot, already forced into an early substitution when Harry Laffin replaced Lynch, saw Laffin himself injured. This reduced Ascot to nine men, having used their third substitute earlier in the game.

In the 76th minute Ollie Harris hobbled off, leaving Ascot down to eight men, and moments later a rather angry Lahtinen-Kalsi, who had spent most of the half trying to instigate reactions from Westfield players, went down clutching his hamstring.

With just seven Ascot players on the pitch, Westfield were aware that any further injury for the home side would lead to an abandonment of the game, and just kept the ball for the remaining ten minutes.

Westfield are now a point adrift of Raynes Park Vale with a game in hand, and four behind Southall having played two matches fewer.

Westfield manager Ian Selley said: “I thought the team played well, scored some very good goals and were in complete control.

“Defensively we were spot on and we had a good goal threat. Overall the object was to come and get three points and that’s what we’ve got, and I think we deserved it.”

Selley felt Westfield were already in charge of the game before the Ascot keeper was dismissed, and said he was hopeful that Breckon’s injury was not serious.

He added: “We said before the game actually that we’ve got a strong 16 and we’re in a really good position for the final ten games, and it’s football that we’ve picked up two injuries today, but that’s how things work.

“We’ve got a few options that we could potentially bring in but we don’t want to disrupt the team too much at the moment because we’re doing well.”

Selley was pleased with how Westfield were shaping up for the run-in and their quest for the playoffs.

He said: “At the moment it’s all about winning. We did well last Saturday - it was probably one of the best performances we’ve had against a good side in Hanworth Villa - and Ascot have been on a good run as well so it was always going to be a tricky fixture.

“Looking back on the game now I think we were in full control and we probably should have scored more goals. But the fact we’ve scored three away from home against a decent side sort of shows how far the team has come.”