WESTON kept themselves firmly in the top half of the Blue Square South table with this narrow victory in a lack-lustre game that had virtually no goalmouth activity with the score coming from the only shot on target.

WESTON-S-MARE 1

DORCHESTER TOWN 0

WESTON kept themselves firmly in the top half of the Blue Square South table with this narrow victory in a lack-lustre game that had virtually no goalmouth activity with the score coming from the only shot on target.

The win went some way to avenge the 3-1 defeat inflicted by the Magpies in the FA Trophy back in November.

From the side beaten by Eastleigh in midweek, Dayle Grubb took over from Justin Porter and Marcus Duharty led the attack instead of Sahr Kabba, who had picked up an injury on the previous Tuesday.

Dorchester, 15th in the table with 19 points, but have four games in hand over Weston, had the better of the first half exchanges, but never seriously threatened the home goal. They came close on 10 minutes when keeper Lloyd Irish pushed away a dangerous cross by Steve Devlin and then denied Jamie Gleeson who almost gained possession. On 41 minutes, Irish made a simple save just outside his goal to deal with Devlin’s weak shot.

Weston gave a much improved display in the second half and on 47 minutes, Duharty was put through on his own, but Dorchester keeper Regan Coward quickly came well outside his penalty area to clear. At the other end minutes later, Dorchester skipper Mark Jermyn made a strong run on the right, but his low cross was cut out by Irish as Gleeson and Ryan Moss closed in.

Manager Craig Laird sent on Ryan Leonard for Jamie Price, Dean Grubb for Nat Pepperell and Kabba for Duharty and the crucial goal came in the 81st minute. Brett Trowbridge made a speedy run at the Dorchester defence from midfield and set up Dean Grubb to score with a shot that went off the inside of a post.

After that Dorchester looked a beaten side and Weston came close to scoring again when Dean Grubb set up Kabba whose effort went across the face of the goal and narrowly wide.

WESTON STATS

Goal: Weston, Dean Grubb (81).

Shots on target: Weston 1, Dorchester 0.

Shots off target: Weston 3, Dorchester 5.

Corners: Weston 7, Dorchester 4.

Offsides: Weston 2, Dorchester 3.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 11, Dorchester 11.

Referee: Brett Huxtable (Torrington). Used a lot of whistle, could have allowed the game to flow more.

Bookings: Weston, Price, Villis, Kabba. Dorchester, Devlin.

Attendance: 324.

Weston squad: Irish, Price (Leonard 59), Slocombe, Rand, Villis, Dayle Grubb, Ingram, Kirk, Duharty (Kabba 59), Trowbridge, Pepperell (Dean Grubb 71). Subs (not used): Laird, Porter.

WESTON have another busy week next week, as they travel to Chelmsford on Saturday and on Tuesday, January 11, are on the road again, this time to Bishops Stortford (7.45pm).