Goals from Keiran Thomas, Marlon Jackson and Reuben Reid saw Weston pick up their first three points on home turf this season to beat Gosport Borough 3-0.
The first shot of the game came from Weston’s right-back Thomas, and what a goal it was! Dayle Grubb and Jackson looked to play a one-two with eachother, but the latter’s pass was slightly in front of the No.10. Striding onto the ball as clean as he liked, the No.2 hammered a first-time strike into the top corner from 25 yards for the first goal at home this league campaign.
Patrick O’Flaherty’s foot kept out Jordan Bastin’s shot after he cut inside second phase from a corner, before Harvey Bradbury fired wide on the half-turn from Harry Kavanagh’s pass 18 yards out down the other end.
A second was to follow for the Seagulls when Grubb’s curling shot from 18 yards out struck the angle of post and bar. The ball dropped with O’Flaherty and Reuben Reid challenging for it, O’Flaherty punching the ball as far as Jackson who hammered in a volley from 12 yards.
Grubb drove wide on his left foot from 12 yards after cutting inside from the right-hand side, before a third was to come just after the drinks break.
Jacob Jagger-Cane was fed into the box and turned to pull the ball back for Reid inside the box. He calmly sidestepped away from Matt Briggs on the penalty area and drove a low shot into the far corner across the keeper for his first goal in Weston colours.
Bradbury fired wide of Max Harris’ near post on the counter attack after being forced wide inside the box by Scott Laird, before James Dodd’s low strike from the edge of the area bounced off the base of the post and away. In the final action of the half, Grubb drove wide from 18 yards after driving forward in the middle of the park.
From a corner to start the second half, pinball in the Weston box fell to Danny Hollands whose volley on the turn was held by Harris. Bastin had a chance when he cut in from the right-hand side, but his shot through a crowd of bodies from 18 yards was just wide of the target. Abdulai Baggie then fired over the bar from 18 yards after Kavanagh’s cross was headed as far as him on the edge of the box. Laird then fired wide of the target from 25 yards after space had opened up in front of him.
In the game’s final chance, substitute Jay Murray was played down the right by Jagger-Cane and as he tricked his marker one way then another, fired over at O’Flaherty’s near post.
FT: Weston 3-0 Gosport Borough (Thomas 9, Jackson 20, Reid 33)
Attendance: 633.
Weston XI: Harris, Thomas, Laird (Murray 68), Jagger-Cane, Avery, Humphries, Dodd, Jackson (Watts 86), Grubb (C), Bastin, Reid (Griffith 77). Unused substitutes: Holmes, Moulden.
MOTM: Lloyd Humphries.