Marlon Jackson popped up with the decisive goal late on in injury-time to take all three points away at Hayes & Yeading in a 2-1 win.
Kadell Daniel had the first attempt of the game, his shot from outside the area toward Max Harris’ near post pushed behind by the Cheltenham Town loanee.
The opening 18 minutes saw both sides figuring eachother out and proving to be a midfield battle with the occasional attack from Hayes at pace, but the decisive goal was to come from a set-piece. Amos Nasha’s delivery toward the back post was met by Hayes’ top scorer Moses Emmanuel, and his downward header bounced past Harris and into the net to break the deadlock.
The rest of the first half was fairly quiet in terms of attempts on goal, Harris having to hold a Ben Frempah header from a corner at the back post but apart from that, both defences were doing well at curtailing the opposition attacks. Emmanuel had the final chance of the half as he danced into the box and got a shot away, but Harris was equal to it and pushed it aside for a corner.
Hayes had the first attempt of the second half when Francis Amartey drove into the box but had his shot kept out at the near post by Harris. Jackson then had Weston’s first real attempt when he curled a shot toward the far post 18 yards out, but it sailed just past the post. The Weston No.9 had the first shot on target for the Seagulls just past the hour mark when his turn and shot from the edge of the box was held by Ravan Constable.
The introduction of Jordan Bastin with 22 minutes remaining swung the control of the game in Weston’s favour as a system change occured, the winger’s powerful effort being turned behind by Constable at the near post for a corner. From Dayle Grubb’s set piece, Bastin rose highest in the box to meet the delivery and glance a header into the corner from six yards to level proceedings.
Weston looked to ramp up the pressure on their hosts with Sam Avery heading over from a Grubb cross following the clearance from the original corner. Hayes had an opportunity on the counter when Amartey drove past Avery into the box, but Harris was again his equal and stayed big to block the shot toward the near post. Alfie Moulden’s swerving strike then tested Constable, the Hayes keeper holding the ball at the second attempt despite it being straight at him.
The decisive goal was to come in injury time after Weston earned a corner down the right-hand side. Bastin’s delivery into the mixer was flicked on by Dodd toward the back post, his header dropping toward the back post. In a tussle to reach the ball first and get the decisive goal, Jackson just about managed to scramble the ball over the line as Hayes frantically tried to clear before wheeling away to celebrate as Weston move up to seventh in the table.
FT: Hayes & Yeading 1-2 Weston (Emmanuel 18 – Bastin 74, Jackson 90+2)
Weston XI: Harris, Josh Thomas (Murray 56), Laird, Jagger-Cane, Avery, Pope, McCootie (Bastin 68), Dodd, Jackson, Grubb (C), Moulden. Unused substitutes: Purnell, Humphries, Vowles.
MOTM: James Dodd