Goals from Jordan Bastin, Dayle Grubb and Marlon Jackson saw Weston take all three points in a 3-2 win over Merthyr Town.
Curtis Jemmett-Hutson had a chance inside the opening 30 seconds for Merthyr when he broke away down the left following a one-two with Ricardo Rees, but his shot across goal was pushed away by Max Harris. Jackson then had an attempt down the other end from 18 yards out, his shot across goal pushed round the post by Cogman.
The Seagulls broke the deadlock when they won the ball midway inside their own half, James Dodd getting the side on the attack by finding Jackson. The striker laid a pass off to Reuben Reid, who expertly played a through ball to Bastin with the outside of his foot. The winger cut onto his left foot inside the box, and fired home at Jamie Cogman’s near post for 1-0.
Bastin then fired wide of the target from 25 yards after cutting in on his left foot.
A second goal was to follow however when a neat passing move between the Seagulls side saw skipper Grubb beat his man 30 yards from the Merthyr goal. He rolled a pass into Jackson, who flicked a first-time pass right into the winger’s path baring down on goal, and the No.10 confidently slotted beyond Cogman when one-on-one.
Bastin dragged a shot wide of Cogman’s near post after playing a one-two with Grubb from a short corner, before the Merthyr keeper was called into action down the other end by Jackson on the counter attack after Reid had driven forward from a Merthyr corner. Bastin then fired wide on the volley at the back post from Scott Laird’s driven cross as the Seagulls hunted for more goals.
Grubb had a chance a few minutes before half-time from a central 20-yard free-kick, his shot striking the crossbar after Reid had been brought down. Jacob Jagger-Cane then had the half’s final shot from 25 yards, his shot over the crossbar.
In the second period, Weston were the first to have an attempt when Bastin’s pass was dummied by Reid and Cogman had to be alert to push away Grubb’s attempt from 18 yards. Sam Avery was then on hand at the back to first clear Frazer Thomas’ header off the line from a Merthyr set-piece, before reacting quickly to block Ismail Yakubu’s volley on the follow-up.
The Seagulls got themselves a third on the hour when Jason Pope played a pass into Jackson 30 yards from the Merthyr goal. With his back to goal and no support around him, the striker took the ball on the half-turn and drove forward by himself, beating three Merthyr defenders with ease before poking an attempt past the oncoming Cogman from 12 yards.
Merthyr weren’t out of the contest yet though as a team, Tom Handley’s free-kick attempt from 25 yards easily gathered by Harris in the Weston goal.
The hosts were to get themselves a consolation goal when Noah Smerdon and Rees played a one-two inside the Weston box, the former evading a strong challenge from Pope to hold onto the ball and finish inside Harris’ near post to pull one back.
Grubb curled a shot over from 25 yards outside the area after Weston had tried finding a way through the home defence.
Merthyr were to get a second goal back when a Smerdon cross was cleared at the front post straight to Matty Harris, who brought the ball down and finished with a sweet volley across Harris and into the bottom corner.
Despite the hosts throwing everything at Weston late on, excellent performances to keep the ball out of the Weston net for a third time saw us take all three points.
FT: Merthyr 2-3 Weston (Smerdon 76, Harris 85 – Bastin 6, Grubb 13, Jackson 60)
Attendance: 558.
Weston XI: Harris, Pope, Laird, Jagger-Cane, Humphries, Avery, Dodd, Jackson, Grubb (C), Bastin, Reid. Unused substitutes: Murray, Watts, Griffith, Jones, Purnell.
MOTM: James Dodd.