Weston recorded a much-needed victory in this basement battle with Chard.

CHARD 18 pts

WESTON 25 pts

WESTON registered a much-needed victory in this basement battle, but not without a few self-inflicted nervous moments towards the end of the game.

On a very heavy playing surface, early Chard pressure was thwarted by the visitors, but eventually the hosts took an early lead through a penalty. Weston equalised shortly afterwards with a penalty by fly-half Glenn Dickson, who then added a long-range effort to give Weston a lead they were never to relinquish.

In the 20th minute, persistent Chard infringements led to a yellow card for the home No 8 and Weston elected to take a scrum. The hosts infringed again, but somehow managed to get the ball, which in the act of clearing was charged down and resulted in a try for Cronan Gleeson.

Weston were now playing some of the best rugby they have played all season and following a great move by both forwards and backs, initially involving inter-play between Dickson and inside centre Ollie Snook led to a great try by lock Shaun Eaton, who cut inside to touch down for a try converted by Dickson.

This was the final score of the first-half, but it could have been more if Dickson’s pass to full-back Chris Young, who had cut a great line to go through, had not been adjudged to have gone marginally forward.

The second half began with another score for Weston after a well-taken scrum allowed Dickson to run blind to score a superb solo effort, which he converted.

With captain Dickson pulling the strings, it looked as if it would only be a matter of time before they wrapped up the fourth try bonus point, but their old failings of ill-discipline and poor game management allowed Chard back into the game with a converted try, before Dickson added another penalty to put Weston 12 points to the good.

In a nervous end to the game, Chard scored another converted try to put themselves in losing bonus point range, but Weston held on to gain a much-needed victory.

For Weston, the front row of Sam Coles, Mike Hocking and Ollie Streeter were once again solid in the scrum and hard working around the pitch and with Dickson playing a mature game at fly-half, the result was never really in doubt, but the visitors may rue not gaining a fourth try to secure a bonus point.

Team: Coles, Hocking, Streeter, Eaton, Bulger, Andrews, Cox, Gleeson, Tuttiett, Dickson (capt), Sprague, Snook, Middlemiss, Edwards, Young, Reps: Crompton, Johnson, Webster.