Weston lost 3-0 to full-timers Sutton United, leaving them seventh in the Skrill South table.

SUTTON UNITED 3

WESTON-S-MARE 0

WESTON failed to master the poor conditions at Gander Green Lane as they crashed to a Skrill South defeat, which leaves them in seventh spot in the table.

Despite massive effort by the ground staff, the playing surface was sodden after the recent heavy rain and a gale-force wind that blew the length of the pitch put Weston’s passing game out of the question.

Full-time Sutton won the toss and opted to play with the wind at their backs in the first-half and soon began to dominate, keeping Weston pinned in their own half for much of the time.

With players slipping, sliding and falling over in the conditions, Sutton opened their account on 19 minutes when Dammy Shitta found Jamie Taylor, signed from Lincoln City, wide on the right. Taylor cut in, rounded Weston keeper Lloyd Irish, who had come off his line, and scored from a narrow angle.

Minutes later, Irish made a superb save to deny Taylor again and the keeper twice made good saves to deny Damian Scannell.

Weston were looking to holding the hosts to a single goal in the first half, but Taylor struck again on 39 minutes, this time popping up on the left, controlling Scannell’s pass and again beating Irish from a narrow angle.

After the break, with the wind behind them, Weston had their best spell, forcing three successive corners and with debutant home keeper Jason Brown making a good save from skipper Ben Kirk.

Later, substitute Kane Ingram tested the keeper and saw another effort go narrowly wide.

However, the points were sealed on 77 minutes when defender Dale Binns burst from his own half, outpaced the Weston defence and fired past Irish.

WESTON STATS

Goals: Sutton, Taylor (19, 39), Binns (77).

Shots on target: Sutton 6, Weston 2.

Shots off target: Sutton 3, Weston 4.

Corners: Sutton 3, Weston 4.

Offsides: Sutton 1, Weston 1.

Free kicks conceded: Sutton 15, Weston 3.

Referee: John Busby (Wallingford, Oxford). Good game, but one of his assistants missed several incidents.

Bookings: Sutton, Sawyer, Weston, Jamie Laird.

Attendance: 439.

Weston squad: Irish, Fiddes (Brown 82), Slocombe, Walker, Jaime Laird, Gregson, Kirk, Diallo, Hemmings, Kington (Ingram 74), Grubb (Ash 74). Subs (not used): Callum Laird, Knowles.

WESTON begin another busy week on Saturday when Dover Athletic will provide the opposition at the Woodspring (3pm).

Weston will be looking for a league double, having won 2-1 away in September, with goals coming from Tristan Plummer and Naby Diallo.

On Tuesday, Weston travel to Bishop’s Stortford with the party leaving at 3.45pm. When the sides met in December, the game ended 2-2, Weston’s goals coming from Chas Hemmings and Ashley Kington.