WESTON were brought back to earth with a bang by Eastleigh as they tried to continue the form that brought them seven goals in their previous home Blue Square South encounter.

WESTON-S-MARE 0

EASTLEIGH 2

WESTON were brought back to earth with a bang by Eastleigh as they tried to continue the form that brought them seven goals in their previous home Blue Square South encounter.

The visitors outplayed and outmuscled a poor Weston who were allowed only one shot on target for the entire game. Weston reverted to their old game of lumping the ball upfield where Sahr Kabba battled against giant defenders Tom Jordan and former Bath City favourite Chris Holland. Before the end, Kabba limped off with injuries to both legs and must be a doubt for Saturday’s home game against Dorchester Town.

The Woodspring Stadium pitch was in excellent condition, thanks to the hard work of groundsman Bob Flaskett who told the Weston Mercury he single-handedly cleared the snow from both 18-yard areas, and the rise in temperature did the rest.

The visitors forced two early corners and the home goal had a let-off on 18 minutes when, from a free kick, Holland’s close-range header was pushed out by keeper Lloyd Irish and Martin Slocombe completed the clearance for another corner.

In a rare home attack on 24 minutes, Nat Pepperell went close with a firm header, but the Eastleigh pressure paid off on 30 minutes when Richard Graham hooked Tony Taggart’s cross over Irish and they struck again on the stroke of half-time when, from their sixth corner, Ross Bottomley beat Irish from another Taggart cross.

For the second half, Weston played much better after bringing on Dayle Grubb, Marcus Duharty and Ryan Leonard, but they failed to break down Eastleigh’s superb defence and apart from Slocombe’s free kick, visiting keeper Gareth Barfoot was only troubled once more, cutting out Duharty’s low cross on 77 minutes.

WESTON STATS

Goals: Eastleigh, Graham (30), Bottomley (45).

Shots on target: Weston 1, Eastleigh 6.

Shots off target: Weston 2, Eastleigh 5.

Corners: Weston 2, Eastleigh 10.

Offsides: Weston 1, Eastleigh 2.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 10, Eastleigh 18.

Referee: Paul Rees (Portishead). Often too quick with his whistle, which spoilt the flow of play.

Bookings: Weston, Kabba, Rand, Ingram, Price, Duharty.

Attendance: 209.

Weston squad: Irish, Price, Slocombe, Rand, Villis, Gilbert (Duharty 62), Ingram, Kirk, Kabba (Leonard 68), Porter (Dayle Grubb 54), Pepperell. Subs (not used): Laird, Dean Grubb.

WESTON’S Boxing Day game at Dorchester Town was a victim of the recent bad weather and the sides are due to meet again at the Woodspring Stadium on Saturday (3m).

No new date has been set for the game at the Avenue Stadium.