Weston travelled to Salisbury and ground out a point in a dour goalless draw.

SALISBURY CITY 0

WESTON-S-MARE 0

WESTON ground out another valuable away Blue Square South point in a game not for the purest.

With both sides looking for a top 10 finish, defences dominated, with perhaps the home side creating the better of the few chances.

Manager Craig Laird selected Chris Young to lead the attack with Sahr Kabba playing wide on the right and Nat Pepperell among the substitutes.

Salisbury started at a rate of knots and Lloyd Irish had to go full stretch to superbly turn Stuart Sinclair’s stinging shot round his post on five minutes. From Charlie Losasso’s corner kick, home skipper Brian Dutton had a goal-bound header cleared off his line by Ben Kirk and from the rebound, veteran Charlie Griffin crashed a shot against the foot of a post.

In Weston’s first attack on eight minutes, Young headed just wide from Kabba’s cross, but at the other end a minute later, Salisbury’s Dan Fitchett just failed to make contact with Griffin’s chip into the six-yard box.

The game was held up for 10 minutes when one of the referee’s assistants pulled a leg muscle and a replacement was found from a volunteer in the crowd. The young man concerned did a good job and the game was able to continue.

On 36 minutes, Young limped off with a slight leg injury, so Kabba moved to his more customary role of leading the attack and Pepperell came on on the right wing. After that Weston came more into the game

Weston’s best chance came on 67 minutes when Kabba was put through by Dayle Grubb from midfield, but he was stopped by a magnificent tackle by Matt Clark. Jamie Price headed over from Kane Ingram’s free kick on 76 minutes and minutes later Kabba was off target.

Before the end, Ingram grazed the home crossbar and Price was again just over, but at the death Losasso fired narrowly across the Weston goal.

WESTON STATS

Shots on target: Salisbury 3, Weston 2.

Shots off target: Salisbury 1, Weston 3.

Corners: Salisbury 4, Weston 3.

Offsides: Salisbury 5, Weston 2.

Free kicks conceded: Salisbury 6, Weston 13.

Referee: Brett Huxtable (Torrington). His usual excellent game.

Bookings: Weston, Trowbridge, Ingram.

Attendance: 605.

Weston squad: Irish, Price, Slocombe, Trowbridge, Villis, Laird, Grub, Kirk, Young (Pepperell 36), Ingram, Kabba. Subs (not used): Diallo, Cleverley, Duharty.

ON Saturday, Weston have another home game when newly-promoted Tonbridge Angels provide the opposition. Weston will be looking to avenge a 3-0 defeat when the sides met in Kent in February.

The final of the Somerset Premier Cup will be held on Tuesday, May 1, at the Hand Stadium, Clevedon, who won after the toss of a coin.

Weston hold their annual presentation evening at the Woodspring Stadium on Saturday, May 5, with doors opening at 5.45pm. Tickets (to include a buffet) are on sale, priced at �12 for adults.