A last-minute penalty by Ashley Kington earned all three points for Weston at home to Whitehawk.

WESTON 2

WHITEHAWK 1

WESTON put all the troubles off the pitch behind them as they registered their 14th Skrill South win of the season against their first-time visitors from Brighton.

But it had to rely on a 90th-minute penalty to secure the win over a side in 19th spot in the table, who belied their lowly position by pushing Weston all the way and deserved to take at least a point from the game.

Weston welcomed back midfielder Brett Trowbridge to the squad after missing 16 games through injury, with Alec Fiddes dropping to the bench, the only change in the side from the defeat at Eastleigh.

The home side were given the best possible start when, on five minutes, Naby Diallo’s short free kick found Martin Slocombe wide on the left who cracked a shot against Hawk’s crossbar and Kane Ingram was on hand to bang in the rebound.

After that Hawks had a good spell, forcing three corners in quick succession and had a string of promising moves halted by offside flags.

Weston forced their first corner on 34 minutes when Dale Grubb’s 30-yard dipping effort was turned over by keeper Jon Miles, but a minute later at the other end, Lloyd Irish did well to turn Jake Robinson’s strong effort over as Hawks forced a couple more corners. Just before the break, Irish had to go full stretch to push Hawks’ skipper Tom Fraser’s low free kick to safety.

Five minutes into the second half the sides were level when, from their sixth corner, Wade Fairhurst headed past Irish in a crowded six-yard box.

As Weston pushed to get back control, Chas Hemmings tested Miles with a shot on the turn, Trowbridge was just over from a Grubb free kick and Ashley Kington struck the Hawks’s crossbar and the side forced two more corners.

Hawks brought on striker Dan Mills and in the space of four minutes, he rapped the home crossbar and forced the save of the game from Irish, who at full stretch, one-handedly turned a point blank header round his post.

Weston were handed a get out of gaol card in the 90th minute when Diallo was brought down and Kington made no mistake from the penalty spot.

WESTON STATS

Goals: Weston, Ingram (5), Kington (90, penalty). Hawks, Fairhurst (55).

Shots on target: Weston 5, Hawks 5.

Shots off target: Weston 4, Hawks 2.

Corners: Weston 5, Hawks 6.

Offsides: Weston 2, Hawks 7.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 9, Hawks 13.

Referee: Richard Hulme (Radstock). Good game.

Bookings: Weston, Trowbridge. Hawkes, Carew.

Attendance: 245.

Weston squad: Irish, Callum Laird, Slocombe, Trowbridge, Jamie Laird, Kirk, Grubb, Diallo, Hemmings, Kington, Ingram (Fiddes 84). Subs (not used): Rigg, Brown, Ash, Purnell.

ON Saturday, Weston make the long trip to Tonbridge Angels in Kent, the party setting out at 9am. When the sides met at the Woodspring Stadium in January, Weston won 2-1, with goals by Tristan Plummer and a penalty by Ashley Kington.