Match Report
Yate Town 2 Westbury 3 (AET)
Zebroski (26) Karadogan (90) | Starr (27), Jenkins (pen 66, 102)
FA Cup First Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Yate Town’s FA Cup dreams are over for another season as they were knocked out by a Westbury side, whose never-die-attitude saw them through and included a wonderful goal that would grace any football ground.
Yate Town manager, Darren Mullings, gave a debut to Corey Evans on loan from Newport County with Lucas Tomlinson on the bench and Matt Britton starting in place of the suspended Dan Dempsey.
Loan signing, Corey Evans, in possession.
Westbury started brightly and showed that they were not going to just sit back and defend and after just a couple of minutes Ben Starr’s shot tested Aaron Sainsbury in the home goal. Oli Jenkins then had a goal ruled out for offside and following a Westbury free-kick the ball came out to Ethan Witchell who skied his shot over the bar and Ackeem Stewart shot straight at Sainsbury from 20 yards.
Matt Britton had a header cleared off the line following a corner and as Yate started to exert pressure they were rewarded after 26 minutes when Rex Mannings’ cross was turned into the net for Chris Zebroski’s for his first goal for the club.
With the ball nestling in the net, Chris Zebroski turns away after scoring.
However, if Yate Town fans thought they could start to relax, the game changed within 90 seconds when Ben Starr unleashed a thunderbolt shot from 25 yards, that flew into the top corner, off the woodwork, to give Aaron Sainsbury no chance.
Charlie Moody then picked up an injury and was eventually forced off with Bevan Cross taking his place just before half time. In added first half stoppage time, a through ball from Westbury travelled a long way on the ground and was not intercepted. Two Westbury players were alert to this finding themselves in space but Aaron Sainsbury was quick to spot the danger and cleared the ball.
Bevan Cross goes past a Westbury defender.
The second half saw a fine cross by James Taylor put just wide by Chris Zebroski and a mazy run from Bevan Cross came to nothing but shortly afterwards, as Westbury broke clear, James Taylor brought down a Westbury player in the Yate penalty area and was shown a straight red by referee Paul Collier. Josh Jenkins came off the bench to dispatch the penalty to put Westbury in front after 66 minutes.
Both sides then started making substitutions for different reasons as 10 men Yate Town went searching for an equaliser. Bevan Cross brought a good save from Westbury goalkeeper Joel Manning, whilst Stewart again tested Sainsbury, when Westbury counter attacked.
With time running out Jackson shot just wide from a Jenkins’ cross but Yate were eventually rewarded in the 90th minute, when after a goalmouth scramble, substitute Jack Karadogan, forced the ball over the line.
Jack Karadogan moments after scoring to level the score.
Extra time saw Karadogan’s fierce shot go straight at Manning and Zebroski’s curled effort went just wide but with the first period of extra time near its end Westbury broke and a right-wing cross was gleefully put away by Josh Jenkins to put the visitors in front.
Yate desperately looked for an equaliser in the second period of extra time but the closest they came was when Jackson shot straight at Manning when the ball fell to him in the box.
This result was a bitter blow to the Bluebells and they must now pick themselves up for two vital home games, starting with the visit of Gosport Borough on Saturday, whilst Westbury can look forward to hosting Oxford City in the next round.
Yate Town: Sainsbury, Taylor, Moody (Cross 43, Karadogan 88), Britton, White, James (Tomlinson 111), Evans (Jackson 69), Guest, Jenkins (Forkuo 102), Mannings (Larvin 85), Zebroski
Unused subs: Grubb
Bookings: Mannings, Guest, Larvin, Karadogan
Sent off: Taylor (54)
Westbury United: Manning, Bole (Jenkins 66), Cannings (Jordan 67), Cockerill, Restorick, Witcombe (Sen 108), Stewart, Witchell (A) Hulbert (84), Starr, Greenland, Witchell (E)
Unused subs: Hutchins, Porter
Bookings: Jenkins, Witchell (E)
Referee: Paul Collier
Attendance: 359
Photographs by Aaron Norman and Jack Palmer.