With the sun shining down on the Woodspring turf, the Seagulls will be ruing their chances from their 2-2 draw against East Thurrock as the playoff picture gets increasingly tighter.
It didn’t take long for East Thurrock to break the deadlock when in the sixth minute, a cross from the left found the league’s top scorer Sam Higgins, who nodded across Luke Purnell and into the far corner.
The visitors found a second in quick succession, when Montel Aeyemang collected the ball just outside the area and unleashed a cracking effort, which flew into the top corner and beyond Purnell’s reach.
Weston searched for their first goal of the afternoon, getting it just two minutes after East Thurrock’s second when Danny Greenslade’s cross from the left found Gethyn Hill at the near post, whose flick went through the legs of keeper Lukas Lidakevicius to halve the deficit.
Centre-back Jason Pope, who was given license to drive forward during the game, curled a shot into the keeper’s arms from 20 yards before Weston equalised a minute before half-time.
Kenan Dunnwald fed Greenslade into the box, whose driven cross was half-cleared to the edge of the box. Krist Scott collected, on his first start for the club, had plenty of time and space to pick his spot and as calm as you look, the midfielder rolled the ball into the back of the net for 2-2.
After the interval, the Seagulls came out with an attacking purpose, almost getting in front when Pope’s clipped ball over the top found Cane 1-on-1, his toe-poke stopped by Lidakevicius. John Coventry’s visitors were unlucky to not get back in front when Joe Christou wove past three Seagulls challenges but his tame effort was easily kept out by Purnell.
Another Pope effort from outside the area found the keeper’s arms, with Higgins almost scoring down at the other end when 1-on-1, but a combination of Aaron Parsons and Purnell smothering the ball away, with Purnell receiving treatment for a knock in the aftermath.
In the dying moments of the game, Naby Diallo won the ball inside the opposition half and drove forwards with the ball, however his pass to fellow substitute Tristan Plummer was delayed and by the time Weston could try and get a shot away, their visitors had men back to scramble the ball away.
FT: Weston 2 – 2 East Thurrock (Hill 22, Scott 44-Higgins 6, Aeyemang 20)
Weston XI: Purnell, Harper, Greenslade, Cane (C), Pope, Parsons, Lee (Hunter 88), Scott (Diallo 73), Hill, Kington, Dunnwald (Plummer 69). Unused substitute: Laird
MOTM: Jacob Cane – The captain continues to put in 100%, covering every blade of grass today, sweeping up in the midfield and almost had a chance for him to win the game in the second half.