High-flying Hampton steal win over Seagulls
A clinical Hampton & Richmond Borough side visited the Woodspring Stadium for their match against Weston, where they ran out 3-1 winners.
Both sides started off at an even pace, with Jacob Cane looking to control the Weston midfield on his first start since the opening day against Whitehawk. Hampton strikers Jamal Lowe, who has recently secured a move to Portsmouth, and Nicke Kabamba both looked to provide a goalscoring threat, putting central defenders Aden Baldwin and Jon Moran under pressure with their direct runs.
The first clear-cut chance for Weston came midway through the first half when a corner was floated into the middle from the right. Jacob Cane rose above the defence to head towards the goal and with the Hampton keeper, Aaron Howe, in no-man’s land, it was down to a covering defender to bravely hook it off the line. Kane Ingram blazed his resulting attempt over the bar after seizing upon the clearance.
Weston took the lead a couple of minutes before half-time when Brad Ash was put through on goal. Ash surged into the box and Louis John pulled the forward down from behind as Ash went to shoot. The 20 year-old Barnsley loanee then got up to his feet, dusted himself off and sent the keeper the wrong way with his spot-kick to give Weston a 1-0 lead.
Weston looked set to go into the dressing rooms one to the good, however when Captain Ash Kington made to pass the ball to Jamie Laird the ball hit the ref, with it falling for Lowe who hit top gear instantly, with Moran and Baldwin back-pedalling. Lowe skipped in between the pair before curling the ball into the top corner to score for the Beavers.
Hampton came out searching for the all-important goal to put them ahead, whereas Weston were happy to let Hampton attack before aiming to hit them on the counter attack. Hampton’s second half pressure finally told when Laird got caught on the ball on the halfway line, which saw Kabamba released in on goal and he made no mistake in putting Hampton ahead.
Weston began their hunt for an equaliser, but the fans, who were fantastic all game long, left disappointed at the result when Hampton substitute Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick got in between two Weston defenders and placed his shot into the far corner deep into injury time.
FT: Weston 1-3 Hampton & Richmond ( Ash 43-Lowe 45+1, Kabamba 82, Hippolyte-Patrick 90+2)
MOTM: Jon Moran
Weston XI: Purnell, Withey, Laird, Kington ©, Baldwin, Moran, McClennan, (Grubb 75),Cane, Ash, Ingram (Pope 67, Bird (Mohamed 75). Unused substitutes:Barker, Powell.