Weston’s on-form streak was interrupted at Poole Town, with two second half strikes being enough for the home side despite a wholehearted effort from the visitors.
The first half consisted of lots of flying tackles from both sides, Lloyd Humphries managed to consistently break up play in the midfield, leaving Poole struggling to create any clear-cut opportunities. Poole did match the Seagulls in terms of resilience defensively, but Gethyn Hill still managed to impress by constantly winning flick-ons from goal kicks and clearances, however Weston weren’t able latch onto the second balls. Dayle Grubb almost managed to conjure up a moment of magic despite being starved of the ball for much of the game; he bent a peach of a free-kick towards the top right corner but the goalkeeper somehow managed to get a fingertip to it and edge the ball against the post! It rolled back across the goal line but somehow the ball didn’t cross the line before it was cleared by a Poole defender.
Grubb came closest to breaking the deadlock with a superb curling free kick in the 38th minute, after a good show of defending from both sides the half finished with the teams going in with the score standing at 0 – 0.
Poole then came out in the second half and began strongly, with Marvin Brooks receiving the ball out on the wing, immediately turning and running, passing two defenders and caressing the ball into the corner to put Poole 1-0 up.
Weston looked determined to equalise from the off, with Grubb, Mohamed Chemlal and Brad Ash proving to be an effective front three, with their direct running, pressurising of the Poole backline and their movements proving to keep the Poole defence on their toes.
Weston were unlucky not to get back on level terms when Ash played Chemlal in on goal, from the edge of the box he clipped the ball over the keeper’s outstretched hand only to see his effort ricochet back off the post. Livewire striker Brad Ash followed in only to see his effort hit the keeper on the foot and roll away.
The Dolphins killed the game off when Luke Burbidge received the ball on the edge of the box, before skinning Gerring and slotting the ball underneath keeper Luke Purnell to see Poole retain their place in the playoffs.
FT: Poole 2 (Brooks 48, Burbidge 90)
Weston XI: Purnell, Pope, Barker, Humphries, Gerring (Baldwin 86), Menayese, Chemlal, Kington (67), Ash, Grubb, Hill (Reid 67).
MOTM:Lloyd Humphries