In their final pre-season friendly at The Woodspring, Weston saw off the challenge of Gary Johnson’s Cheltenham thanks to two first-half goals from Dayle Grubb and Tristan Plummer.
Cheltenham started strongly, with Jake Lee clearing a Will Boyle header from a Kyle Storer corner off the line five minutes into the encounter. Harry Pell then found Dan Holman in the Weston area ten minutes later, but Holman’s shot was easily held by Luke Purnell.
Weston took the lead 18 minutes into the game when good work from Jarrad Welch, Tristan Plummer and Jason Pope down the right saw the former cut the ball back into the path of Grubb, who swept home into the bottom corner to break the deadlock.
The Seagulls got their second through neat build-up play down the left this time, with Grubb finding himself clear of any defenders. With the option to shoot, he instead sought out Plummer to his right, who finished into the empty net while off balance for 2 – 0.
Grubb then almost scored a superb solo goal on the half-hour as he skipped through a tight gap in between two markers, before driving at the defence and pulling his shot wide from 25 yards.
Weston’s Ashley Kington and Cheltenham’s Harry Pell were both lucky to not be sent off inside the space of a few minutes before half-time. Kington went through Pell from behind, with the Cheltenham midfielder squaring up to Weston’s captain following the challenge. A few minutes after, Pell committed the similar challenge on Kington, with Pell receiving a yellow card for his recklessness.
Cheltenham pulled a goal back 62 minutes in when a Gethyn Hill slip led to a throw-in for the away side. They managed to work the ball up the pitch, sending Carl Winchester through, who slotted under Purnell, to reduce the deficit.
Cheltenham were lucky to not concede minutes before the end when Boyle lost the ball to trialist Shaquille Hunter in his own box, but Flatt smothered the shot. An onrushing Sol Wanjau-Smith, making his Seagulls debut after playing a major part in the U18s title success last season, saw his rebound deflected over from the edge of the area, with the goal gaping.
FT: Weston 2-1 Cheltenham (Grubb 18, Plummer 27-Winchester 62)
MOTM: Dayle Grubb-The winger has come to life during the pre-season schedule, and with some excellent individual work, as well as a goal and an assist, sees Grubb receive the MOTM.