James Dodd’s equaliser midway through the first half helped Weston to a 1-1 draw at home to Met Police.
Scott Laird had the game’s first chance when he headed an Elis Watts corner over at the front post, before Dodd went close twice in the space of 10 seconds. His first attempt was a flick toward goal from a low Keiran Thomas cross, with keeper Liam Beach palming the ball back to him. The midfielder’s follow-up on the stretch was cleared off the line by Harry Taylor. Laird then had a chance when he drove into the box, but his shot across goal was just wide of the far post.
The visitors were to take the lead against the run of play 13 minutes in when a throw-in found Martell Taylor-Crossdale inside the area, who laid it back to Ollie Knight. The winger took his shot on first-time, and fired beyond Purnell for the game’s first goal.
Skipper Grubb had an attempt blocked from outside the area as the Seagulls looked to get back level.
The equaliser was to come midway through the half however when Dodd got the ball outside the area and found Reuben Reid on the edge of the box. He held the ball up perfectly before laying it off to the No.8, and his low attempt beat a diving Beach for power to nestle in the back of the net.
Taylor-Crossdale fired a shot across goal and wide of the far post after being found on the right side of the area, before Grubb dragged a shot wide of the near post on his left foot after being found by Reid. Lloyd Humphries then had a 25-yard free-kick punched away by Beach on his return to the side, before Met’s Louis Birch sidefooted an attempt over the bar from 25 yards after a cross had been cleared his way in the final meaningful action of the half.
In the second period, Watts curled wide of the far post a few minutes in before Grubb had a shot from 18 yards pushed away by Beach after the captain had picked up a loose ball and drove forward. Taylor-Crossdale then had a shot held comfortably by Purnell at the near post after he had won the ball from Humphries and ventured into the box.
Knight had a chance for the visitors when he was slotted in behind by Liam Ferdiand, but his shot across goal one-on-one with his left foot was kept out by a strong hand from Purnell. Ferdinand then went close for the visitors when he recieved a pass from substitute Joshua Keeya and spun his man but the placed shot across goal skimmed the outside of the post and went behind for a goal-kick. Met skipper Luke Robertson then headed a Knight free-kick wide from 12 yards.
Laird had a shot held by Beach from 18 yards, before substitute Jordan Bastin drove an effort just wide of the far post after being found by Reid following some great hold-up play. Humphries then fired a shot wide of the target as the Seagulls looked to find a way through the visiting defence.
In the game’s final opportunity, Ferdinand headed a Knight corner wide. The visitors were reduced to ten men in the dying stages as substitute Kwaku Frimpong was sent for an early bath following a follow-through on Laird when going for the ball.
FT: Weston 1-1 Met Police (Dodd 21 – Knight 13, Frimpong S/O 90+3)
Attendance: 932.
Weston XI: Purnell, Thomas, Laird (Williams 90+5), Jagger Cane, Humphries, Pope, Dodd, Jackson (Mehew 78), Grubb (C), Watts (Bastin 68), Reid. Unused substitutes: Coppin, Murray.
MOTM: Dayle Grubb.