WESTON’S play reached new heights as they swept aside a poor Basingstoke side to record their fourth straight Blue Square South win.

The game as a contest was virtually over in the first 20 minutes as Weston rattled in three goals for their biggest home win so far this season.

They went into the game without the suspended Jamie Laird and injured Jamie Price while on-loan central defender Manny Parry, who lives in London, mistakenly drove to Basingstoke’s ground and did not arrive at Weston until after half-time.

However, he was named as a substitute and came on after 57 minutes, and played his usual immaculate game in defence.

Star of the game, undoubtedly, was Chas Hemmings, who scored one goal and had a hand in three others, while Nabi Diallo was here, there and everywhere from defence to attack and was regularly outjumping Basingstoke’s Douglas Berquest, the tallest man on the park, a Swedish defender on loan from Aldershot Town.

Speaking after the game, Weston chairman Paul Bliss said: “We played some beautiful football today and thoroughly deserved our win, but I am bitterly disappointed by the poor attendance. This team has lost only once in six games and deserve better support than we are getting.”

Weston opened their account on nine minutes when Hemmings had a strong effort parried low down by former Exeter, Leyton Orient, Brentford and Torquay keeper Ashley Bayes. However, Hemmings reclaimed the rebound and laid off for Diallo to smash the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards.

In an isolated Basingstoke attack, Shan McCauley fired narrowly wide a minute later, but on 17 minutes Weston struck again.

Pete Monks, backing up an attack, sent Ross Stearn through on the left to beat three defenders and his pin-point cross was met by Hemmings who beat Bayes with a downward header.

Weston came close again on 20 minutes when Diallo crossed to Hemmings, whose effort was scrambled behind for the side’s only corner of the game. However, they struck again a minute later when Hemmings set up Kane Ingram to score at the second attempt, Bayes managing to parry the first effort.

After that, Basingstoke forced four corners as Weston eased up, but were never a threat to the home goal.

Two minutes into the second half, Basingstoke’s best player, Delano Sam-Yorke, fired narrowly over, but Weston struck again on 54 minutes when Hemmings knocked down a high cross for Ashley Kington to fire past Bayes from 10 yards.

Basingstoke briefly got into the game with Callum McNish and Tim Sills having efforts on target, but Weston came back again on 76 minutes when Stearn, cutting in along the by-line from the left, was brought down. He picked himself up and scored from the penalty spot.

To their credit, Basingstoke never gave up and, after bringing on three substitutes, scored twice in the last five minutes through substitute Stefan Brown, who netted from Sam-Yorke’s pass, and he then returned the compliment by setting up Sam-Yorke for the vistors’ second.

* ON Saturday, Weston face a much stiffer test, when second-in-the-table Boreham Wood provide the opposition to the Woodspring Stadium (3pm).

WESTON STATS -

Goals: Weston, Diallo (9), Hemmings (17), Ingram (21), Kington (54), Stearn (76, pen). Basingstoke, Brown (84), Sam-Yorke (89).

Shots on target: Weston 10, Basingstoke 4.

Shots off target: Weston 4, Basingstoke 6.

Offsides: Weston 2, Basingstoke 3.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 10, Basingstoke 13.

Referee: Carl Brook (St Leonards-on-Sea). Good game. Allowed play to flow.

Bookings: Weston, Trowbridge, Villis. Basingstoke: Sills.

Attendance: 282.

Weston squad: Irish, Slocombe, Monks, Trowbridge, Villis, Diallo, Stearn, Kirk, Hemmings (Grubb 70), Ingram (McClaggon 63), Kington (Parry 57). Subs (not used): Young, Pepperell.