Weston moved up to seventh position in the Blue Square South League after victory over Hornchurch.

WESTON-S-MARE 1

HORNCHURCH 0

WITH their seventh clean sheet of the campaign, Weston moved up to seventh spot in the Blue Square South thanks to this back-to-back win.

The home side controlled the first half and should have scored at least a couple more goals, but in the second half, Hornchurch had much more of the midfield play without penetrating a strong home defence.

In the opening minutes, Weston attacked strongly, with Ross Stearn testing keeper Joe Woolley and they forced the first of five corners and they came close. From Stearn’s flag kick, the ball fell to Jamie Price, whose deflected shot was cleared off the Hornchurch line by Tambeson Eyong with Woolley beaten.

In quick succession, Dayle Grubb, Stearn and Chas Hemmings went close with efforts when, if a little bit of time had been taken, one or two might have gone into the net.

Hornchurch’s only chance of the half came on 38 minutes when Lewis Smith fired narrowly across goal, but no-one was up to supply the finishing touch.

The crucial goal came on 39 minutes when Ashley Kington freed Grubb on the left to make ground and cross low into the six-yard box where Brett Trowbridge beat Woolley on the far post.

In further Weston attacks, Hemmings was again off target with a headed effort and Grubb also came close.

A minute before the interval, Stearn limped off with a knee injury, Kane Ingram taking over and the side was depleted as an attacking force as Stearn was a constant threat to the visitors’ defence.

Hornchurch came out strongly for the second half, with Smith firing just over in the opening minutes. Although they shaded the midfield exchanges, the visitors’ attack was snuffed out by the no-nonsense home defence of Price, Pete Monks, Matt Villis and Jamie Laird with keeper Lloyd Irish not being severely tested.

The Weston goal had the only scare of the game on 73 minutes when Smith and Leon McKenzie burst through, but Irish managed to claim possession in a melee in which Hornchurch had strong claims for a penalty ignored by unsighted Oxford referee John Busby, who awarded the visitors their only corner.

Ingram wasted a great chance of sealing the win when he had time to kill a high cross and pick his spot, but unfortunately he snatched at the effort and fired badly wide. Later, from Hemmings’ knock-down he fired narrowly across goal.

WESTON STATS

Goal: Weston, Trowbridge (39).

Shots on target: Weston 3, Hornchurch 1.

Shots off target: Weston 6, Hornchurch 4.

Corners: Weston 5, Hornchurch 1.

Offsides: Weston 0, Hornchurch 3.

Free kicks conceded: Weston 13, Hornchurch 19.

Referee: John Busby (Oxford). Good game, kept playing advantage.

Bookings: Weston, Price. Hornchurch, Reynolds, Eyong.

Attendance: 257.

Weston squad: Irish, Price, Monks, Kington (Diallo 81), Villis, Laird, Stearn (Ingram 44), Kirk, Hemmings, Trowbridge, Grubb. Subs (not used): Slocombe, McClaggon, Egan.

ON Saturday, Weston were due to travel to Sutton United, but the Gander Green Lane outfit are still involved in the FA Trophy. The game has been re-arranged for January 22 (7.45pm).

On Saturday, Weston travel to Staines Town in a Blue Square South game brought forward from Easter Bank Holiday Monday, April 1.