Three first-half goals from Chelmsford City saw them beat Weston 3-0 at The Optima in the Seagulls’ first home game for three weeks.
Visiting skipper Anthony Wordsworth had the game’s first attempt with a blocked free-kick, before Callum Watts had a 25-yard shot deflected wide for a corner and Jermaine Francis forced Harry Lee into a save at the back post by bringing down a cross on his chest and firing towards goal. Reuben Reid then had Weston’s first attempt but dragged his shot across goal and wide of the target.
The opening goal was to arrive 18 minutes in when a cross to the back post from Ben Brookes found Mo Bettamer unmarked, who could calmly head down and past Lee for the afternoon’s first goal.
A second was to follow less than 120 seconds later when Bettamer managed to turn inside the Weston half and link up with Callum Jones, the forward taking Bettamer’s pass in his stride as he stormed into the box and slotted low past Lee to double his side’s advantage on the road.
Luke Pearce had a chance on his Weston debut to open his account and halve the deficit, but Josh Oluwayemi was equal to his effort and pushed the low shot away after the loanee from Southampton had been played through.
Chelmsford got a third from a set piece when Francis’ deep corner to the back post found Wordsworth, who rose above his marker and headed in past a Weston defender on the line for his first goal in Claret.
Lee was called into action a few more times in the first half, tipping aside a Cameron James shot from 30 yards, as well as being able to keep out Adam Mills and Bettamer attempts inside the area. Brookes then dragged an effort wide for the visitors in the final attack of the half.
Reid had the first chance in the second half but his header from Jordan Bastin’s corner was headed off of the line by Wordsworth, before Watts blocked a powerful Pearce drive inside the area. A free-kick from 25 yards taken by Samir Carruthers then rippled the side-netting.
Jason Pope, on as a first-half substitute for Weston, headed a Francis effort off of the line after the ball had been cleared to the winger inside the box, while down the other end James Morton saw a 25-yard shot pushed aside for a corner by Oluwayemi.
Pearce had a shot deflected wide down the other end, before Lloyd Humphries’ volley from 30 yards was over the bar after the ball had fallen his way at a corner. In the last action of the game, Josh Castiglione had two attempts up the other end but neither failed to trouble Lee.
FT: Weston 0-3 Chelmsford (Bettamer 18, Jones 20, Wordsworth 29)
Attendance: 1,010.
Weston XI: Lee, Thomas, Humphries, Avery (James 80), Bastin, Jagger Cane, Morton, Dodd, Mannings (Pope 34), Reid, Pearce. Unused substitutes: Purnell, Grubb, Jackson.
MOTM: Keiran Thomas.