WESTON-S-MARE 2 EASTLEIGH 2 - WESTON'S faithful supporters patience were rewarded as the injury-hit squad picked up their first Blue Square South point since November 28.

WESTON-S-MARE 2

EASTLEIGH 2

WESTON'S faithful supporters' patience were rewarded as the injury-hit squad picked up their first Blue Square South point since November 28 and the result lifts them off the foot of the table on goal difference.

With every point now vital, the Seagulls went into the game missing Craig Rand, Clayton Fortune, Ben Joyce, Dale Grubb, and Tom Evans, but luckily had manager Andy Gurney on the bench, who grabbed their deserved equaliser deep into injury time.

The visitors, pushing for a play-off place, started strongly with Anthony Riviere forcing a diving save from Kevin Sawyer, while Danny Smith, Richard Gillespie and Ian Oliver all went close in the first 10 minutes.

In Weston's first attack on 10 minutes, latest signing Danny Burnell forced visiting keeper Jason Matthews to concede the game's first corner with a lobbed effort, but as Eastleigh came back, Gillespie and Steve Cook went close. Gillespie should have done better on 40 minutes when he turned Josh Ford for an unchallenged run, but fired over when well placed.

Minutes into the second half, Sawyer did well, saving with his legs from Smith, but the deadlock was broken on 55 minutes when the home defence failed to clear Eastleigh's seventh corner and Gillespie scored in a scramble, but Weston were back in it on 69 minutes when, from Ben Cleverley's corner, Oliver put through his own goal.

Eastleigh made a substitution, bringing on Tony Taggart, but he lasted just three minutes before pulling a hamstring and had to be replaced by Andy Forbes. However, they regained the lead on 83 minutes when Forbes scored from 10 yards.

Minutes later, Eastleigh lost Stafforde Palmer through injury and as they had used all three substitutes, had to play out the last seven minutes and lengthy injury time with 10 men. Weston piled on pressure, urged on by Gurney who had replaced Ford, and were rewarded on 93 minutes when, from Burnell's right-wing cross, Gurney beat Matthew with a diving header.

ON Saturday, Weston have another home fixture when 14th-placed Basingstoke provide the opposition, and on Monday evening (7.45pm), 18th-placed Hampton and Richmond are visitors in a rearranged fixture.