By Owen Nelson and Jamil Salih
USW tasted defeat for the first time this season at the hands of a dominant Hartpury.
The visitors started on the front foot and were unlucky not to score on two occasions in the opening minute.
They continued to threaten the USW goal as Joe Shutt was a constant threat down the right wing.
Both sides exchanged chances five minutes later as a wayward shot by Hartpury led to a counter-attack by USW, which came to nothing.
On the 25th minute mark, USW’s Callum Saunders cannoned a free kick just over the bar from 25-yards out.
Four minutes later, Hartpury got the opening goal they deserved. Aaron Nesbeth cut inside from the right wing and finished with a shot to the bottom left corner.
The home side’s best chance came early on when a header by Jordan Pike was cleared off the line and scrambled to safety.
But Hartpury doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time.
The USW defence fell asleep as Shutt played through striker George Bell who calmly slotted the ball past Morgan Davies.
USW came out firing in the second half and it took the home side just eight minutes to nearly reduce the deficit as Keane Thomas’ effort rose agonisingly above the crossbar.
Hartpury responded well to the resurgent threat from their opponents and in the 66th minute Toumani Sidibe was fouled by Thomas just as he was through on goal. The away side were awarded a free-kick and Sidibe cleverly slotted an effort home to make it 3-0.
A minute later, USW responded with a free-kick of their own, this time it was Callum Saunders who struck for the home side to bring the deficit back to two goals with a perfectly-placed free kick.
Both sides knew the next goal would be crucial, and that goal fell to the away side’s substitute Yeshaya Lomotey, who latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the box and rounded Adam Forster before claiming Hartpury’s fourth goal to seal the victory.
Speaking after the game, USW coach Bobby Briers was disappointed but was hopeful of a positive reaction when his side face University of Gloucestershire next Wednesday at the USW Sport Park.
“We conceded the second goal just before half-time and it really knocked the stuffing out of us,” said Briers.
“We are going into next game full of confidence”.
Star Player: Toumani Sibide