Gosport Keeper Denies Weston Three Points At Woodspring
In a game where Weston arguably deserved to take the three points, Gosport keeper Lewis Watch produced two outstanding saves to deny Weston.
Both teams were equal during the opening quarter-of-an-hour, with Gosport using the flanks often but seeing their resultant crosses cleared by Centre Backs Aden Baldwin and Jon Moran, or caught by Luke Purnell, who had a fine game throughout.
Weston came close to breaking the deadlock midway throughout the half when Jacob Cane twisted and turned just outside the penalty area, and got clipped 25 yards out. Cardiff loanee and winger Jamie Bird lined up to shoot, but saw his curling effort bounce off the crossbar and into the car park with the Gosport keeper Watch left rooted to the spot.
Bird’s chance was the only real chance from either side in the first half, and Weston came out in the second half looking hungrier for the three points.
On-loan Barnsley striker Brad Ash chased everything that came his way all game, and Dayle Grubb was giving Gosport right-back TJ Cuthbertson nightmares with his direct running. Jacob Cane and captain Ash Kington controlled the midfield with their work-rate, tackling and passing ability. Weston continued to press the Gosport backline, and the pressure eventually told when Jason Pope made an overlapping run to receive the ball from Jamie Bird, and Pope’s ball was slightly behind the run of Cane and Ash. Ash collected the ball and turned onto his right foot, with his shot deflecting in to the back of the net off of the thigh of Jacob Cane to send the Seagulls fans into raptures in the main stand.
Gosport weren’t behind long, ten minutes after the Weston goal Borough winger Aaron Dawson beat Pope on the outside, his cross flew over the heads of Purnell and Baldwin, with substitute Chris Flood arriving at the back post, and cool as you like, slotting into the back of the net on the volley to give Gosport the equaliser.
Weston suddenly began to pepper Gosport with everything they had left in the tank, everyone inside the ground thought the home side had scored when a cross from Bird found his fellow Cardiff loanee LLoyd Humphries on the edge of the box. Humphries poked his shot towards goal, forcing Gosport Keeper Watch to palm aside. Ash raced in on the rebound but his toe-poke towards goal was again expertly saved by Watch as he sprang to his left to keep Ash out.
The Seagulls kept battling away, and Watch yet again denied them when a low cross came in from the Weston right, with Grubb showing his composure to round the keeper but Watch yet again kept Weston out and the scores level at 1-1.
Despite valiant attempts, Weston were unable to get the breakthrough leaving Scott Bartlett still waiting for his first league win in charge of Weston.
FT: Weston 1-1 Gosport Borough (Ash 65-Flood 75)
Weston XI:Purnell, Pope, Laird, Humphries, Baldwin, Moran, Cane, Kington (C), Ash, Grubb, Bird (Powell 85). Unused subs: Meechan, Mohamed, Barker, Irwin.
MOTM: Jacob Cane