Weston got back to winning ways with a battling victory over Chippenham at the Recreation Ground.

WESTON 22 pts

CHIPPENHAM 13 pts

HAVING been defeated in their previous seven matches in National 3 South West, Weston were relieved to record a victory over Chippenham in a hard-fought match at the Recreation Ground last Saturday.

The visitors shaded the possession overall, but Weston’s tireless defending limited them to two tries against the three touched down by the hosts, the first of which went to lock Dave Bufton.

After flanker Paul Morrissey’s second-minute foray and debutant full-back Jack Skelton’s break, it was Bufton who touched down from short range for James Mackay to convert.

But Chippenham replied with a try by centre Jon Squire, and they took the lead with full-back Sam Saunders’ penalty.

However, just before the interval, Weston applied maximum pressure and were rewarded with George Sparks’ pushover try which Mackay converted for 14-8.

The Seasiders were soon adding to their tally with Mackay’s penalty which took the fly-half to 150 points for the season and they made the match reasonably safe with a powerful break by hooker Craig Withers, who gave the try to the supporting Sam Smee.

In a nervy final quarter, Squire scored his second try for the visitors, but Weston’s defensive effort won the day.

As well as Skelton, who 20th birthday arrives in April, Weston’s other debutant was 19-year-old flanker Ben Cox, who put in a good performance.

But the Seasiders will be hoping that nasty looking injuries to Sparks and Ashley Russell will not prevent them lining up against Newton Abbot at the Recreation Ground on Saturday (2.30pm).

Weston: J Skelton, S Edwards, H Jones, K Middlemiss, M Watkins, J Mackay, S Smee, D Swann (c), C Withers, D Price, A Russell, D Bufton, B Cox, P Morrissey, G Sparks. Replacements used: S Donegan, D Burge and R Mackay.