A professional performance from the Seagulls saw Weston progress in the Somerset Premier Cup with a 9-0 win against Hengrove Athletic.
The Seagulls went ahead with the first chance of the game when Rex Mannings managed to feint away from his man down the left and drill a low cross into the middle, academy product Oscar Collins slotting in from just inside the area for his first goal at senior level in the white of Weston.
Robbie Willmott had a shot from 18 yards on his left foot held by Ben Britton in the Hengrove goal, while Jordan Bastin fired wide of the far post when managing to get into the opposition area.
The hosts were to go two up when Bastin picked up a loose pass on halfway from the visitors and drove deep into the Hengrove half, feeding James Morton who cut the ball back for Marlon Jackson to confidently finish into the corner from 12 yards out.
Morton & Mannings then both went close from a similar angle inside the area, firing wide and over respectively, before the former curled over from 18 yards out. Bastin then glanced a Jacob Jagger Cane cross wide from 12 yards as he ghosted away from his marker.
Weston were to be awarded a penalty just past the half-hour mark when Collins was brought down from behind by a Hengrove defender, Jackson stepping up to the spot and firing his penalty to Britton’s right, the keeper getting a hand to it and pushing the strike onto the post however the ball was to roll over the line.
A fourth was to follow for Weston when Jackson was freed down the right and managed to cross for Mannings, who brought the ball down and turned away from a couple of defenders around him before rolling a shot into the bottom corner for 4-0.
A fifth came close for the Seagulls when Mannings won possession from a sliding Britton who had come to collect a long ball inside the area, and the winger squared for Jackson who struck at goal from 12 yards however a covering Hengrove defender on the line incredibly headed off the line. Robbie Willmott then dinked wide from 18 yards in the half’s last chance.
In the second period, half-time substitute Harry Pegler headed over from inside the area following Willmott’s delivery following a short corner.
The Seagulls were to make it five when a great knock in behind found Humphries marking a dart, whose square pass across goal was finished by Mannings on the far post inside the six-yard area.
Humphries fired just wide at the near post from a corner routine, before Jackson hooked wide from a Morton cross. Minutes later, he volleyed wide at the back post from Willmott’s dinked delivery.
Rex was to get himself a hat-trick when substitute Dan Maspero reached a Hengrove foot to the ball, and was brought down from inside the area. Mannings stepped up to the spot, and sent Britton the wrong way to make it 6-0.
Number seven was to follow when Morton turned on halfway and played a pass down the right for Jason Pope, who picked out Collins inside the centre. The academy graduate took a touch and finished into the top corner for 7-0.
Mannings was still to get his fourth goal of the night, coming when Humphries fed a ball in behind for the No.11 who finished beyond Britton first-time on his right foot.
A ninth was to come only two minutes later when Mannings played an exquisite pass in behind with the outside of his foot for Pope, who fired into the roof of the net one-on-one for his first of the season.
FT: Weston 9-0 Hengrove (Collins 5,74, Jackson 15,pen 32, Mannings 37,55,69,81, Pope 83)
Attendance: 225.
Weston XI: Lee (Purnell HT), Bastin, Pope, Humphries (C), Avery, Willmott, Jagger Cane (Pegler HT), Morton, Jackson (Maspero 66), Mannings, Collins. Unused substitute: Edwards.
MOTM: Rex Mannings.