Weston won away at Chelmsford to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.

CHELMSFORD CITY 2

WESTON-S-MARE 3

WESTON extended their unbeaten run to seven matches, with five wins and two draws, with this morale-boosting success at the Melbourne Community Stadium which lifts them up to 19th in the Vanarama National League South table with games in hand.

It must be said, however, that despite being in 15th spot in the table with 27 points, City have not won a home game on a Saturday since August.

Played on a heavy pitch that only passed inspection at 8.30am, both sides played an attractive passing end-to-end game with City making a bright start, forcing an early corner and coming close when Billy Bricknell had the ball knocked off his toe by keeper Luke Purnell as he was about to shoot.

City forced two more corners, but slightly against the run of play, Weston broke the deadlock on 26 minutes when skipper Dayle Grubb’s shot was beaten out by the defence. The ball fell for Scott Wilson who laid it off for Jacob Cane to beat home keeper Tim Brown from 15 yards.

City bounced back, forcing a couple more corners and Purnell made important saves to deny Bricknell and Peter Dexter, but they drew level on 39 minutes, Billy Hunt scrambled in their fifth corner.

Two minutes later, City took the lead when defender Bagasan Graham scored with a diving header from Bricknell’s cross from the right.

At half-time, Weston made two changes, bringing on Ben Withey and Syd Camper for Jake Mawford and Joe McClennan and they equalised on 48 minutes. Awarded a free kick on the edge of the home penalty area, Grubb rifled his shot over the defensive wall and past an astonished Brown.

City also made a couple of changes, mounting several attacks, but only forcing a string of corners. With their defence pushing up to help the attack, they were vunerable at the back. Weston made several quick break-outs led by Cane, Pat Keary, Wilson, Grubb and Tristan Plummer with Brown making some important saves.

Weston got the deserved winner when from another quick attack, Cane put Grubb through to easily beat Brown.

After that, City lay seige to the Weston goal, but Purnell pulled off a series of superb saves to deny Bricknell, Dexter, Hunt and substitute Matthew Whichelow.

WESTON STATS

Goals: City, Bricknell (39), Hunt (41). Weston, Cane (26), Grubb (48, 60).

Shots on target: City 6, Weston 6.

Shots off target: City 7, Weston 7.

Corners: City 10, Weston 5.

Offside: Weston 2.

Free kicks conceded: City 12, Weston 8.

Referee: Carl Fitch (Ipswich). Good game.

Bookings: Weston Cane.

Attendance: 737.

Weston squad: Purnell, Mawford (Withey 46), Barnes, Cane, Keary, Fortune, McClennan (Camper), Plummer (Pope 75), Wilson, Grubb, Byrne. Subs (not used): Edge, Wring.

THE condition of the Woodspring Stadium will have an enormous bearing on Saturday’s opponents. If the FA Trophy game goes ahead with a favourable result, Weston will be away at Grimbsy Town. If however they lose to Wealdstone, they will be away to St Albans in the league.

If the Trophy game has to be played on Saturday, the winners will be away to Grimbsy on Tuesday evening.