Opponents Poole Town secured their first home league win of the season in a 3 – 1 result over the Seagulls, despite the second-half pressure from Marc McGregor’s men.
Weston started the stronger side, turning their possession play into half-chances. Tristan Plummer, reintroduced into the starting lineup, rolled a shot into the arms of Poole keeper Nick Hutchings while Dayle Grubb’s shot was deflected out for a corner.
Plummer’s cross was hacked away from danger by Corby Moore, while the Seagulls skipper shimmied his way past Jamie Whiskin but blazed wide on his left foot, with all of these opportunities arising in the opening 15 minutes.
However, it was Poole who got the opening goal in the contest through their No.9, Warren Bentley. A ball into the left channel caught the Seagulls defence napping, allowing Bentley to race onto the pass. The striker played across goal but was adjudged to have been clipped by Luke Purnell. The referee quickly awarded a penalty for the home side, accompanied by a yellow card to the Weston shot stopper, and up stepped Steve Devlin, drilling the spot-kick into the bottom-left corner.
Jacob Cane was shown a yellow card for a rash challenge on Corby Moore just inside the Poole half, from which handbags between 21 players, apart from Seagulls keeper Luke Purnell, ensued.
Steve Devlin and Jez Bedford both curled free-kicks wide and over respectively as Poole looked to double their advantage. The home side managed to do so on the stroke of half-time, when centre-back Jason Pope attempted to find defensive partner Harvey Smith. However, the pass lacked power to it, allowing Bentley to race on to it and the prolific striker shifted the ball onto his right foot and slotted the shot past the dive of Purnell.
After the interval, Weston looked a more determined side with a higher tempo to their game, pinning Poole back inside their own half for the majority. Plummer’s flick round the corner for Jake Lee was thwarted by the legs of Hutchings as Weston’s No.7 shot from a tight angle.
However, four minutes from the end, Poole got a third against the run of play. The ball was threaded through for Poole substitute Jeremiah Gyebi, who only signed a one-month loan deal with the Dorset club on Friday night from Yeovil, slotting the ball into the corner to seal all three points.
The Seagulls nicked a consolation in added time though when Hill was picked out, running on the edge of the area. The Welshman turned onto his right foot, and slammed into a shot past Hutchings but it was too little, too late for the Seagulls.
FT: Poole 3 – 1 Weston (Devlin pen 19, Bentley 45+2, Gyebi 86-Hill 90)
Weston XI: Purnell, Harper, Greenslade, Cane (Kington 48), Pope, Smith, Lee, Diallo, Hill, Grubb(C), Plummer. Unused substitutes: Laird, Reid.