WESTON picked up their first home point of the season on Saturday in a competitive 2-2 draw with Hayes and Yeading.

The Seagulls had been humiliated by Gosport Borough the previous weekend but bounced back to secure a hard-earned win at Staines Town, and they continued their upturn in form in the early stages against Hayes, as defender and captain Tom Jordan turned goalscorer from Dayle Grubb’s corner on the quarter hour.

Leading at the break and looking strong, manager Mickey Bell was left frustrated with his players’ inability to put the tie to bed as Hayes turned the game on its head in the second half, drawing level within three minutes of the restart when Matt Ruby slotted home the rebound from Adam Everitt’s free kick.

Soon after the hour mark the visitors stole in front, Dan Wishart beating Luke Purnell at his near post after a strong run, but Weston were rewarded late on for their perseverance when Aaron Brown curled a peach of a free kick into the top corner for his first Seagulls goal.

After the game, Bell was again wondering what might have been, following a dominant first-half performance from the hosts.

He said: “I’m disappointed that we played so well before the break but couldn’t see the game out. We should have gone in two up and didn’t take our chances, which is something I’ve said before. We were sloppy for a spell in the second half and it’s cost us two points.

“We switch off and don’t play for a short period and get punished for it, but when other teams do it we are letting them off the hook and not being clinical enough.”

The Weston boss has moved to strengthen his ranks at both ends of the field recently, with Bristol Rovers defender Pierce Mitchell arriving on loan and coming off the bench in Saturday’s draw, while striker Jamie Lucas’ loan has been extended for another two months.

Bell said: “We’ve secured Jamie for longer which is very good news. We are still looking at players who are going to improve us, but they need to be experienced at this level and know how to get results.

“Our game management will get better, but we haven’t got a lot of time to be patient. We need to realise there are spells in games when we have to battle and fit, and put the ball forward.

“It’s not just about playing pretty football. When it gets a bit physical, we have fallen by the wayside and we need players who can handle that.”