Weston lost narrowly to visitors Amersham and Chiltern and the Recreation Ground.

WESTON 22 pts

AMERSHAM & CHILTERN 24 pts

A BRACE of tries by Amersham during a three minute spell in the second half saw Weston lose narrowly at the Recreation Ground.

The Seasiders had looked comfortable at 22-7 in the 48th minute but the visitors’ superior backs won the day and the hosts had to be content with a losing bonus point.

This season, Weston have been in the habit of conceding early scores and Saturday was no exception. In the fifth minute, poor defending let in Amersham scrum-half Dwyane Polataivao to give Craig Webb an easy conversion and it was not until a quarter of an hour later that the hosts replied with James Mackay’s 40 metre penalty.

By now, Weston were up and running, and helped by Andrew Glen’s battering runs, they took the lead when flanker Richard Bignell finished off a driven line-out.

Then, in first half time added, Chris Young, operating at scrum-half, scored a good individual try and Mackay’s conversion took them into the break at 15-7.

This became 22-7 early in the second half when Gavin Simpson’s powerful break from a set scrum gave Young his second try.

Mackay converted again for that 15 point advantage but it was soon reduced when Polataivao’s second try started Amersham’s recovery.

The Seasiders then conceded a flurry of penalties and with the visitors’ tails up, their wings Jerry Rice and Brad Reeve both scored between the 72nd and 75th minutes, Webb converting the first.

There were still five minutes of normal time remaining and in stoppage time Weston had a chance to snatch the points. But Mackay’s 45 metre penalty attempt was wide.

Weston: J Mackay, P Sprague, J Gallagher, A Evans, G Wright, M Roberts, C Young, D Swann, D Burge (G Cooper 70), S Donegan (M Truscott 59), A Glen, G Sparks (c), J Rudkin, R Bignell, G Simpson.

This was a disappointing performance by Weston. There were too many passes which went to ground in the back division, which was completely eclipsed by the visitors.

Even the pack suffered at times and things will need to improve by the Christmas break.

There are no games on Saturday but they have two away matches in Devon against Barnstaple and Newton Abbot and in between, a home encounter with promotion favourites Bournemouth.