WESTON-S-MARE 2 ST ALBANS CITY 3 - ST ALBANS managed just three shots on target in their Blue Square South game at the Woodspring Stadium, but unfortunately for Weston they all found the back of the net.

WESTON-S-MARE 2

ST ALBANS CITY 3

ST ALBANS managed just three shots on target in their Blue Square South game at the Woodspring Stadium, but unfortunately for Weston they all found the back of the net, and the result sees them drop a couple places down the table.

Weston went into the game missing Craig Rand and Marc McGregor, but had new loan signing Ben Joyce partnering Ashan Holgate in attack. They also had Clayton Fortune back from injury and skipper Adie Harris over his bout of flu. New signing from Forest Green Rovers, Ross Stearn, was on the bench.

They made a positive start, forcing three corners in the first 12 minutes against their Hertfordshire visitors who started the day just three points above them in the table, but they failed to trouble keeper Paul Bastock.

With their first attack on 21 minutes, Saints took the lead when, from James Fisher's right wing cross, Gary Cohen headed against the home crossbar and from the rebound, Luke Thorlbourne fired past an unsighted Kevin Sawyer in a crowded six-yard box.

Weston were level on 30 minutes when Joyce, who troubled the Saints with his pace, was fouled a yard outside the penalty area, and Jack Compton left Bastock standing with a superb free kick. Minutes later, Compton forced Weston's fourth corner with another free from almost an identical spot and later Joyce was just over with a thunderous effort that had Bastock beaten.

Saints struck again on the hour when slack marking allowed Cohen to control Alex Bailey's right-wing cross and beat Sawyer from eight yards and it got worse on 75 minutes when Sawyer could only punch Fisher's cross out where the ball cannoned off Cohen and fell invitingly for Solaman Shields who beat Sawyer from 15 yards.

By this time, Weston had withdrawn Joyce and replaced him with Josh Llewellyn and they at last began to threaten and were rewarded on 84 minutes when, from another Compton free kick, Saints defender James Quilter turned the ball into his own net.

After that, Llewellyn fired narrowly across goal and from another free kick, Fortune headed the ball on, but Llewellyn was just over and in another attack, he headed against the crossbar.

WESTON STATS

Goals: Weston, Compton (30), Quilter (84, own goal). Saints, Thurlbourne (21), Cohen (60), Shields (75).

Shots on target: Weston 4, Saints 3.

Shots off target: Weston 8, Saints 2.

Corners: Weston 6, Saints 5.

Offsides: Weston 1, Saints 3.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 13, Saints 13.

Referee: Adam Bromley (Plympton, Devon). Excellent game.

Bookings: Saints, Bastock.

Attendance: 218.

Weston squad: Sawyer, Green, Parrinello, Harris (Wells 77), Evans, Fortune, Bartlett (Stearn (61), Mullings, Holgate, Joyce (Llewellyn 61), Compton. Subs (not used): McGregor, Brown.

BECAUSE Weston made an early exit from the FA Cup, they are without a game on Saturday. Hopefully, this will give time to manager Andy Gurney and his assistant Chris Smith to turn the season around and begin to get results.