WESTON made a positive start to their pre-season programme by holding newly-promoted Football League Division 1 side Exeter City to a draw and going down to an injury-time winner to Cheltenham Town, just relegated from the same tier of football.

WESTON made a positive start to their pre-season programme by holding newly-promoted Football League Division 1 side Exeter City to a draw and going down to an injury-time winner to Cheltenham Town, just relegated from the same tier of football.

WESTON-S-MARE 2

EXETER CITY 2

CONSIDERING they had only had a couple of training sessions as a squad, Weston put up a spirited display to hold newly-promoted to Football League Division 1 Exeter City to a draw, watches by 421 paying customers.

Fielding probably their strongest side, the Seagulls made a positive start, opening the scoring after only two minutes. Ben Wells' shot on target was turned over his own crossbar by Exeter's Don Seagorne. Jack Compton took an inswinging low corner from the right which was touched on by skipper Adi Harris for Mark McGregor to beat keeper Paul Jones from eight yards.

The sides were level on 14 minutes when Harris unfortunately stopped Manny Panther's right-wing cross with his arm and Chris Allexe beat keeper Kevin Sawyer from the penalty spot.

After that Exeter had their best spell, knocking the ball around well and keeping possession and they took t he lead on 22 minutes when Neil Saunders burst through and beat Sawyer with a superb chip from over 20 yards.

Weston were indebted to Sawyer early in the second half when he denied Liam Sercombe' pile-driver with a wonderful one-handed save, sprinting to his right.

Weston kept plugging away and were rewarded on 63 minutes when, from a long clearance by Sawyer, Ashan Holgate got the better of Seaborne and beat the keeper from 10 yards.

Weston squad: Kevin Sawyer, Scott Bartlett, Tom Paranello, Adi Harris, Craig Rand, Michael Wood, Ben Wells, Darren Mullings, Josh Llewellyn, Marc McGregor, Jack Compton, Mark McKeever, Ashan Holgate, Leon John, Ollie Barnes, Nick Dunn, Marvin Brown, Chris Williams.

WESTON-S-MARE 1

CHELTENHAM TOWN 2

WESTON can consider themselves unlucky to lose to an injury-time goal against a Cheltenham squad just relegated from the Football League Division 1

Fielding several triallists and the nucleus of established players, they matched their opponents and did not deserve to lose.

The visitors made a positive start, dominating early play and forced a corner on three minutes when Kevin Sawyer deflected Elvis Hammond's shot after he had burst through the defence and a minute later David Hutton had an effort knocked away by Sawyer.

Cheltenham took the lead on 13 minutes when Hammond scored at the second attempt after Sawyer parried his first attempt from Lee Ridley's cross from the right.

Weston's best chance of the half fell to new signing from Team Bath Josh Llewellyn who fired narrowly wide after dispossessing Michael Townsend.

Both sides made several changes for the second half and on the hour Darren Mullings was felled by Townsend and McGregor added his second goal in successive games from the penalty spot.

As heavy rain fell, the game looked to be fading out into a draw, but on 91 minutes former Bristol Rovers favourite Julian Allsop beat Sawyer with a close-range glancing header from Marley Watkins' cross.

Weston squad: Kevin Sawyer, Eric Labourieux, Tomas Paranello, Scott Bartlett, Craig Rand, Michael Wood, Ben Wells, Leon John, Josh Llewellyn, Ashan Holgate, Jack Compton, Marc McKeever, Dale Grubb, Marvin Brown, Mark McGregor, Darren Mullings, Chris Williams, Aaron Blakemore, Ollie Barnes, Jody Bell.

TONIGHT (Thursday), Weston are at Brislington and on Saturday are also away at Poole Town, both in pre-season friendlies.