Weston maintained their winning start to the New Year with victory over Welling United.

WESTON-S-MARE 2

WELLING UNITED 0

ROARED on by massive vocal support from behind the visitors’ goal, Weston recorded their fourth straight win of the New Year and the defeat of Welling sees them slip from second to third in the Blue Square South table.

Weston dominated the first half, scoring twice, but again they faded somewhat, allowing their opponents back into the game. However, superb defending brilliantly marshalled by Matt Villis and Jamie Laird saw them comfortably home.

Again manager Craig Laird had the luxury of naming an unchanged starting line-up and although Welling forced a corner in the first minute when Jack Evans, on loan from Football League Gillingham, had a free kick was turned behind, Weston were soon in control.

Weston almost scored on four minutes when Saha Kabba burst down the right, played inside to Ben Kirk who found Kane Ingram who fired over from a couple of yards. Minutes later Kabba dragged a shot just wide and then Laird found the net from Ben Cleverley’s free kick, but the linesman spotted a foul on a defender and the score disallowed. Then, Ingram fired into the arms of keeper Nick Pope to spurn another good chance.

The home pressure paid off on 15 minutes when Nat Pepperell, who was proving a handful wide on the right, sent Kabba on his way and the little man sped past Welling’s Ben Martin, cut in along the bye-line and beat Pope on his near post for his fifth goal in three games.

Weston struck again on 36 minutes when Andy Sambrook brought down Jamie Price and Pepperell stepped up to send Pope the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Little was seen of the Welling attack in the first half, Dean Cracknell trying a speculative effort from distance being their only attempt on target.

Ten minutes into the second half, Welling brought on new signing Warren McBean, a prolific scorer for Bromley and Chelmsford City in recent seasons, and began to dominate midfield play without really troubling home keeper Lloyd Irish.

Player-manager Jamie Day went close with a free kick and Lee Clarke, Loui Cumbers, Loui Fazakerley and McBean all tested Irish.

Near the end, Weston almost scored again when Pepperell burst down the right from Price’s pass, beat Evans and skipper Jack Parkinson, but finished by firing narrowly across goal.

WESTON STATS

Goals: Weston, Kabba (15), Pepperell (36, penalty).

Shots on target: Weston 3, Welling 5.

Shots off target: Weston 4, Welling 4.

Corners: Weston 3, Welling 3.

Offsides: Weston 2, Welling 4.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 12, Welling 11.

Referee: Tim Wood (Quedgley). Excellent game.

Bookings: Weston, Young, McGregor. Welling, Sambrook, Parkinson.

Attendance: 422.

Weston squad: Irish, Price, Slocombe, Cleverley, Villis, Laird, Ingram, Kirk, Kabba (Young 74), Trowbridge (McGregor 79), Pepperell. Subs (not used): Martin, Diallo, Duharty.

ON Saturday, Weston travel to 13th placed Boreham Wood looking for another league double, having beaten the Hertfordshire-based club 4-1 back in September, goals coming from Jamie Price, Dayle Grubb, Chris Young and substitute Ben Cleverley.

The Weston club has announced that former goalkeeper Ryan Northmore, who currently runs the Academy side in conjunction with Weston College, had been appointed a director of the club.