Goals spread out amongst the squad on a hot summers afternoon saw Weston chalk up their first pre-season win with a 10-0 victory at Brimscombe & Thrupp.
It didn’t take long for the visitors to get the first goal of the afternoon when a Scott Laird pass into Reuben Reid allowed the summer signing to flick a first-time pass into Lloyd Humphries. The Welshman drove forward from 25 yards, and curled an excellent shot from the edge of the area around the keeper Louis Barnfather to break the deadlock.
Reid continued to look lively in the opening stages as he first turned from a Jordan Bastin pass 18 yards out and fired his shot toward the near post just wide. Next, Reid was to create a chance as he fed Bastin into the box but the No.11 was met by the oncoming Barnfather as he tried to clip the ball past him, the shot being blocked by the home keeper’s chest.
A second was to follow through a set-piece when Humphries was brought down 25 yards from goal. James Dodd took over responsibility of the set-piece, and his floated delivery toward the back post was met by skipper Keiran Thomas who fired across the keeper and into the bottom corner on the volley.
Jackson almost made it three at the back post when an Elis Watts free-kick found him free, but his header back across goal was wonderfully tipped wide by the diving Barnfather.
The No.9 was to get his goal less than 120 seconds though when Brimscombe got caught on the ball just inside the box from a short goal-kick. Dodd pressed his man excellently and came away with the ball, laying it across to Jackson inside the area. Marlon shuffled away from his man and drove the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards to make it three.
Weston were to get goal number four just past the half-hour mark when Reid won a tackle on halfway and drove forward with the ball. Gliding past two players, he slipped in Watts who brought the ball under his control and slotted past Barnfather from inside the box.
Brimscombe had a rare chance when Luke Purnell stayed alert to rush out and block a through ball to Jonty Welch, the ball falling to Harlie Price 25 yards out. The Brimscombe No.10 lifted his effort towards goal, Purnell just getting a touch on the ball to push it onto the post with centre-backs Jason Pope and Sam Avery covering on the line.
The Seagulls also had a goal ruled out not long after when Watts recieved a short corner from Bastin. Jinking onto his left foot, his cross found Jackson free in the centre who nodded in, but the striker was adjudged to have been offside.
In the second half, the heat began to tell for the opening 25 minutes of the second period until Brimscombe’s Price brought down a cross from the right and fired over the crossbar. A minute after being introduced to proceedings, Weston substitute Jack Holmes saw a drive from 20 yards pushed away by the Brimscombe keeper. Jay Murray also went close when jinking inside onto his left foot, but his shot from the edge of the box was pushed away with ease.
With 14 minutes to go, Weston finally got back on the scoresheet when Murray drove inside and played a pass to substitute Dayle Grubb. The talisman glided past his man inside the box onto his left foot, and slotted in from 12 yards to get his first goal of pre-season.
A sixth would come with seven minutes to go when Murray was found down the right side of the box. His low cross was straight into the corridor of uncertainty, and in his desperation to cut it out, Brimscombe defender Matt Barnard slid the ball into his own net.
Sub goalkeeper for Weston, Arthur Nasta, was getting his first taste of pre-season action for the final 15 minutes to the game, and his only real contribution saw him comfortably stop a long-range effort from Lee Bowles.
Murray was to get his first of the afternoon when he was found wide on the right. Taking on the left-back, he beat him for pace and strength as he drove into the box. Taking the ball onto his left foot, he rounded the keeper who had come to meet him before slotting through the defender’s legs on the line for 7-0.
Young striker Ben Griffith was to get in on the act when after a spot of pinball inside the area, Griffith reached the loose ball first and was taken out by a combination of Barnfather and defender. The 20-year-old stepped up to the spot himself and confidently sent the keeper the wrong way, firing his penalty into the corner.
Heading into injury time, there was still time for Murray to find the net another two times and get his hat-trick. The first goal came from great perseverance by Griffith, using his pace in behind to reach a long pass first and round Barnfather. With the angle being wide, he laid the ball across the box to Murray six yards out and the winger slotted in for 9-0.
With the final kick of the game, Jay got his first hat-trick in Weston colours when Alfie Moulden beat Barnfather to the ball but was forced toward the byline. Checking back, the youngster found Murray inside the area, who composed himself and fired in from six yards on his left foot.
FT: Brimscombe & Thrupp 0-10 Weston (Humphries 4, Thomas 19, Jackson 30, Watts 32, Grubb 76, Barnard OG 83, Murray 87,90+2,90+5, Griffith pen 90)
Weston XI: Purnell (Nasta 74), Thomas (C), Laird (Kempster 74), Dodd, Avery (Grubb HT), Pope, Watts (Murray 59), Humphries (Holmes 59), Jackson (Moulden 59), Reid (Griffith 59), Bastin.
MOTM: Jay Murray.