Weston Football Club fans had to endure a Vanarama Conference South rollercoaster season, but eventually finished in 16th spot.

FOLLOWERS of Weston Football Club had to endure a Vanarama Conference South rollercoaster season.

For long periods they were in danger of relegation, but towards the end they put together some impressive results and finished in 16th spot in the table.

The squad had a dreadful start to the season in August, losing the first five games to Concord Rangers (4-1), Gosport Borough (4-0), Hemel Hempstead (4-2), Eastbourne Borough (2-1) and Oxford City (3-0), while the away game at Ebbsfleet was abandoned at half-time due to a lights failure. They picked up their first point on August 31 when they drew 1-1 with Bath City.

In September, Weston got their first win, 1-0 away at Bishop’s Stortford, then lost the next at Dartford (2-1), before drawing 2-2 with Truro City, then losing to Sutton United (2-0) and Ebbsfleet (2-1). They ended the month by beating Hook Norton (2-1) in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.

October began with a morale-boosting win at full-time Margate (2-0), followed by a 3-1 success over Wingate and Finchley in the FA Cup. They then lost to Maidenhead (2-0) and St Albans (2-1) in the FA Cup before beating Whitehawk (2-0) away on the last day of the month.

November began with another loss to Concord Rangers (3-0), before beating Brislington (3-0) in the Somerset Premier Cup. Gosport Borough (1-0) recorded a league double over the Seagulls, before they beat St Albans (4-1), Havant and Waterlooville (3-2), and ended the month by overcoming Hitchin (4-0) in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy.

December began by beating Wealdstone (3-2). Then the FA Trophy game against Wealdstone was twice postponed due to the Woodspring Stadium pitch beind waterlogged. Weston drew with Bishop’s Stortford (1-1) and with Hayes and Yeading (1-1). In between, the Trophy game with Wealdstone was again postponed, this time to continuous rain.

Early January saw the home game against Hayes and Yeading called off thanks to a waterlogged pitch and the Trophy game against Wealdstone. That game was finally played at Paulton Rovers ground, Weston winning 3-0.

The next game was also in the Trophy, against Grimsby where they lost 3-1. The home game against Maidstone was another victim to the weather and they ended the month in an extraordinary game at Hemel Hempstead. They were trailing 3-0 after 30 minutes but the game finished 5-5!

February began with another postponement, against Basingstoke, before beating full-time Oxford City (5-2) and drawing away at Eastbourne (3-3). Weston then lost to Hayes and Yeading (2-0), Wealdstone and Chelmsford, while the Somerset Cup game against Odd Down was postponed.

March 1 saw the away game at Truro City postponed, but then they beat Dartford (2-1), before losing to St Albans (2-1) and drawing with Sutton United (0-0).

Weston met Maidstone twice in the same week, losing 2-1 at home and 3-1 away. The squad beat Odd Down (2-0) in the quarter-final of the Somerset Cup, before beating Ebbsfleet (2-1) and ended the month by losing to Bath City (2-1).

April began with Weston recording a double over Margate (1-0). Twice in the week they met Basingstoke, winning 2-1 at home and drawing 2-2 away. They recorded a stunning win at Truro (3-1), but then lost to Whitehawk (2-1), before going out of the Somerset Cup to the eventual winners, Wells City (2-1). Weston ended their season by beating Maidenhead 2-0 and drawing with Havant and Waterlooville (1-1).

Leading scorer was Scott Wilson, who netted an impressive 19 league goals and a further five in cup games, followed by club skipper Dayle Grubb with 11 in the league and two in cup games.

Bradley Ash, who was transferred to Football League Barnsley in mid season, weighed in with eight in the league and five in cup games, including two hat-tricks.

Other scorers were Tristan Plummer with four in the league and one in a cup game; Ollie Barnes (four and one); Jake Mawford, who came back from a loan spell at Paulton to score important goals at the end of the season (three and two); Ben Withey (three); Joe McClennan (two and one); Ioannis Varouxakis (two and one). Clayton Fortune, Syd Camper, Jason Pope and Tscetan Filipov scored one each and there were two own goals in the league.

Final league table:

W D L Pts

Sutton United 26 12 4 90

Ebbsfleet United 24 12 6 84

Maidstone United 24 5 13 77

Truro City 17 14 11 65

Whitehawk 18 10 14 64

Hemel Hempstead 16 13 13 61

Maidenhead United 16 11 15 59

Dartford 16 11 15 59

Gosport Borough 15 11 16 56

Concord Rangers 15 10 17 55

Bishop’s Stortford 15 10 17 55

Oxford City 13 15 14 54

Wealdstone 12 17 13 53

Bath City 14 11 17 53

Chelmsford City 15 7 20 52

WESTON 14 9 19 51

Eastbourne Borough 13 11 18 50

St Albans City 13 10 19 49

Margate 13 8 21 47

Hayes & W’ville 12 11 19 47

Hayes & Yeading 11 13 18 46

Basingstoke Town 9 11 22 38