Weston moved on up into the playoff places by beating visitors Kings Langley 3-0 thanks to goals from Nick McCootie, Dayle Grubb and Keiran Thomas.
Sam Dreyer hooked an effort over the crossbar inside the first 60 seconds when Jack Wood’s delivery dropped his way before Erin Amu fired over from six yards after Max Harris pushed Wood’s delivery out into the area. Marlon Jackson had Weston’s first shot of the game when he brought down Jason Pope’s pass inside the area, but Jack Smith was quickly off his line to smother the attempt.
Dreyer came close to opening the scoring when he met Wood’s corner six yards out, but his downward header struck the base of the post. Smith had to be alert in the visitors’ goal to tip over an audacious Jackson effort from wide on the left-hand side of the pitch. Alfie Moulden also came close to netting with his head, but he could only direct returning captain Keiran Thomas’ header at Smith.
Dayle Grubb’s shot from eight yards out was deflected wide after Moulden had laid off McCootie’s low cross before Lloyd Humphries fired wide of the post from 25 yards after Bastin’s corner fell his way. Jackson almost broke the deadlock five minutes before half-time when he met Humphries’ rabona cross on the stretch, but his diving header was just wide of the near post. Bastin almost came close to breaking the deadlock when he met Keiran Thomas’ cross at the back post, but his header hit the side netting.
The Seagulls did break the deadlock a minute before half-time when Bastin was fed down the left-hand side. Cutting onto his right foot, his cross toward the centre was spilt by Smith and McCootie was there to bundle it in from a yard out to give Weston the advantage heading into the interval.
Weston doubled their lead less than 60 seconds into the second half when McCootie turned his man inside the opposition half and found Grubb on the left. The winger does what he does best, jinking his way toward the 18-yard line before curling his shot into the bottom corner for 2-0.
McCootie had a 1-on-1 saved by the onrushing Smith after turning his man from Sam Avery’s header forward, before Humphries had an effort kept out by the away keeper following Moulden’s backheel inside the area from McCootie’s cross. Jamie Jellis had a rare shot deflected wide by a sliding Avery from 25 yards, before sustitute Will Hoskins rattled the crossbar following a 1-2 on the edge of the Weston area.
Weston put the gloss on their victory six minutes from time, Grubb’s delivery into the box from a corner met by the head of skipper Thomas, powering a header in off the post for 3-0 to mark his return to the starting XI after contracting Covid.
In added-on time, Grubb tested Smith with a 30-yard free-kick, before Harris was forced into action by pushing a Alex Lafleur shot across goal round the post. Langley were to have the final attempt of the game, substitute Max Bustamante attacking Lafleur’s cross but directing his header narrowly over the crossbar.
FT: Weston 3-0 Kings Langley (McCootie 44, Grubb 46, Keiran Thomas 84)
Weston XI: Harris, Keiran Thomas (C), Bastin, Jagger-Cane, Pope, Avery, McCootie, Humphries, Jackson (Vowles 84), Grubb, Moulden (Murray 79). Unused substitutes: Purnell, Josh Thomas.
MOTM: Jordan Bastin