The overnight stay in Margate wasn’t enough to prevent Margate from getting a crucial win over The Seagulls, as Weston’s form begins to take a dip heading into the last month of August.
There were only 2 changes made from the side that lost narrowly to Dartford, with Shawn McCoulsky and Joe McClennan coming in, with Tom Meechan and Eliot Richards dropping to the bench.
Weston looked like gaining an early lead as they pinned Margate back but could limit themselves to an effort from 18 yards via McCoulsky. Then Margate took the lead.
Weston continued to invite pressure 15 minutes into the game when a ball in between Simpson and Pope split the defence open, which Elliot Buchanan latched on to before rifling into the far corner from a tight angle for 1-0.
A few minutes on from the lead, Weston looked to equalise straight away when Joe McClennan danced his way past three defenders before firing a shot towards goal, which the Margate keeper tipped onto the bar and out for a throw-in.
Just before half-time, Margate doubled their advantage in similar fashion to the first when the Seagulls defence was again split open and Buchanan raced in behind to slot past the onrushing Luke Purnell.
Margate came out, looking for the third and final goal to kill off Weston, and the third came ten minutes into the second half when Jordan Williams commited a foul on Margate’s right. The ball was lofted into the area, where centre-back Yado Mambo climbed highest to power a header into the top corner for 3-0 Margate.
Weston got their consolation goal twelve minutes from time when Jake Mawford recieved the ball from substitute Richards and skinned his man before delivering a cross over the keeper’s head, where McCoulsky tapped in from under the crossbar.
However, the result was not to be and Weston were left to rue what might have been on the long coach journey home.
FT: Margate 3-1 Weston (Buchanan 13 & 40, Mambo 54-McCoulsky 78)
MOTM: Luke Purnell (Weston)-Kept the Seagulls in it with a few good saves on a number of occasions. Couldn’t do anything about the three goals he conceded.
Weston XI: Purnell, Simpson(Richards 64), Williams(Barnes 64), Mullings, Pope, Fortune, McClennan, Mawford, McCoulsky, Grubb, Kington.(Dowling 64) .
Match report written by Liam Drury