Weston slipped to a 1-0 home defeat against Yeovil Town in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday.
With both teams just one week away from their respective league seasons this was an encounter that lived up to all the ingredients as a good test for respective managers Scott Bartlett and Chris Hargreaves.
Honours went to the visitors courtesy of an eighth minute Alex Fisher penalty – won by Jamie Reckord after the Town player had been illegally stopped by defender Kieran Thomas after the South Somerset side had started the more industrious of the two sides.
Yeovil’s Malachi Linton, who created several issues with his inventive running, found himself goal side with a good opportunity to increase the lead for the National League side but his effort was well smothered by home goalkeeper Max Harris.
Earlier, however Dayle Grubb’s effort had almost given the Seagulls an early lead following good movement between Scott Laird and James Dodd but his effort from outside the 18-yard area was wide of the target.
On 30 minutes, with the hosts growing more into the game, Weston created their first chance on goal following some excellent right flank play, but former Yeovil striker Rueben Reid could only aim his effort directly at the keeper.
And with the home side finishing the first half strongly, Weston captain Grubb – full of running throughout the afternoon – was unfortunate not to grab an equaliser for the hosts, with his close range efforts well held by Smith.
The National League side were thought by many of the afternoon’s 461 Optima Stadium attendance to have increased their lead after the restart, but Linton – after jinking through the Weston defence – crashed his shot into the side netting.
Linton’s effort appeared to bring the best out of Bartlett’s team, with the home side engineering a number of fruitful moves in the final third.
Had luck been on their side, Weston could well have reduced the deficit as man-of-the-match Jacob Jagger Cane caught the eye on several occasions dictating play from his midfield berth, impressively wearing the captain’s armband in the second half.
Good opportunities were created by the home side late in the game as Jack Holmes' 25-yard effort went narrowly over the crossbar before Jagger-Cane’s header went just over with seconds remaining.
Bartlett said: “I was pleased with how the game went, it was a decent work out for both sides, and I thought that we gave a particularly good account of ourselves.
"We undertook some good habits and I felt on occasions we were unlucky not to have come away with at least a draw. I’m happy with how pre-season has gone and we go to Bracknell Town next Saturday in good spirits, and will be giving it our all this season, to hopefully go one better than we did last year.”
Weston: Harris; Thomas (Murray); Laird (Kempster); Jagger-Cane; Pope; Humphries; Dodd (Holmes): Jackson (Griffith); Grubb (Brandon Bak): Bastin (Watts), Reid (Moulden). Unused sub: Purnell.
Yeovil Town: Smith; Williams; Hunt; Linton; Fisher; Knowles; Reckord; Staunton; Richards-Everton; Worthington; Wakefield.
Man of the match: Jacob Jagger Cane.
Attendance: 461.
Referee: Ross Martin.
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