WESTON ended the calendar year with a morale-boosting 3-0 win against eight-man Dorchester Town.

The Seagulls beat the bottom-place side on Saturday to end 2013 just three points outside the play-offs in ninth spot.

The victory saw Weston bounce back from a narrow 1-0 reverse at Bath City on Boxing Day, where former player Ross Stearn grabbed the only goal of the game.

Weston played the better football against Bath but slipped to a ninth league defeat of the season.

Injuries and suspensions left manager Craig Laird with a small squad to choose from but bar an early save by Lloyd Irish from Stearn, Bath struggled to break down Weston’s defence.

Home goalkeeper Jason Mellor excelled in between the sticks denying Ashley Kington and Tristan Plummer twice as the Seagulls failed to get the goal they deserved.

Bath’s winner came 10 minutes into the second half as Andy Watkins penetrating right-wing run saw him set up Stearn who bagged a goal against the side he left in the summer.

Weston bounced back to take three points against Dorchester at the Woodspring Stadium in an extraordinary game which saw three of the visitors’ players sent for an early bath.

Chas Hemmings, in for the suspended Plummer, twice went close before former academy player Bradley Ash netted his first goal for the senior side on 22 minutes.

Dorchester’s Clive Makoni was dismissed for his challenge on Irish halfway through the second period and Weston made the man advantage pay within five minutes.

A half-cleared corner fell to Kington who finished with typical aplomb from the edge of the penalty area.

Dorchester’s cause was made all the more helpless when Mark Jermyn and Steve Walker were dismissed in the closing stages for dissent.

And with the game in added time Syd Camper notched his first goal for the club after good build up from Dayle Grubb, Hemmings and Kington.

With the first and third goals coming from academy players, Laird said the club’s investment in youth players was paying dividends.

He said: “We have adopted a youth policy bringing through players from our academy and it is certainly working. We now have four players in the squad who have come from the system.”

Weston finish the year on 29 points and remain in touching distance of the play-offs although have played more games than anyone else in the division.

Chairman Paul Bliss said: “I was hoping for a total of 30 points before the turn of the year.

“The long list of injuries and suspensions did not help but hopefully things will improve in the new year.”