Weston earned a point at Staines Town when Brett Trowbridge netted in the 88th minute.

STAINES TOWN 1

WESTON-S-MARE 1

WESTON extended their unbeaten Blue Square South run to three games, but they should have come away from Wheatsheaf Park with all three points.

They dominated 85 per cent of the game, playing some attractive one-touch football and several times stringing together up to a dozen passes without a Staines player touching the ball.

Jamie Price was missing from the squad through injury, while Ross Stearn was on the bench, recovering from a knock picked up last week, Martin Slocombe going into defence and Kane Ingram partnering Chas Hemmings up front.

Staines started well, forcing a corner on two minutes and a minute later Troy Ferguson had a close-range cross cut out by Weston keeper Lloyd Irish.

As Weston began to dominate, Brett Trowbridge was just off target twice with good efforts and Hemmings was unlucky when his strong 35-yard effort sailed just inches over the home crossbar. Later, Hemmings was on target with a strong header from Weston’s first corner, taken by Dayle Grubb and Ingram went close with an effort as the game remained scoreless by the interval.

Weston were awarded a penalty on 54 minutes when Ingram was pushed over by Staines’ Sam Page, but home keeper Jack Turner guessed correctly to fist Ingram’s spot kick to safety.

The visitors came close again on 60 minutes as they forced three successive corners when Jamie Laird had a goal-bound effort turned behind.

The deadlock was broken on 66 minutes when, from Max Worsfold’s corner, substitute Louis-Rae Beadle scored on the far post, Staines’ only effort on target of the game.

Weston brought on Stearn for Ashley Kington, Kaye McClaggon for Hemmings and Nat Pepperell for Pete Monks and were quickly back in their stride.

With Grubb running the midfield and Stearn causing all sorts of trouble for the Staines defence, Weston got the deserved equaliser on 88 minutes when, from Stearn’s cross from the right, Trowbridge beat Turner from close range.

WESTON STATS

Goals: Beadle (66). Weston, Trowbridge (88).

Shots on target: Staines 1, Weston 6.

Shots off target: Staines 3, Weston 7.

Corners: Staines 6, Weston 6.

Offsides: Staines 5, Weston 1.

Free kicks conceded: Staines 9, Weston 5.

Referee: Stuart Butler (Maidstone, Kent).Easy game to control.

Bookings: Staines, Ifil, Ferguson. Weston, Kirk, Pepperell.

Attendance: 230.

Weston squad: Irish, Slocombe, Monks (Pepperell 80), Kington (Stearn 70), Villis, Laird, Ingram, Kirk, Hemmings (McClaggon 75), Grubb, Trowbridge. Subs (not used): Diallo, Egan.

WESTON are in for a busy holiday period, starting on Saturday when they entertain Eastleigh (3pm) and will be hoping to avenge a 3-0 defeat suffered in Hampshire in August.

On Boxing Day, Weston travel to Bath City and three days later, Saturday, December 29, they travel to bottom club Truro City, looking to overturn a 2-0 defeat suffered at home also in August.