Match Report by Liam Drury
Back at The Optima Stadium after two consecutive away journeys, a Reuben Reid opener was cancelled out as Weston drew 1-1 against a Bristol City U21s side.
From the last game, Kelland Absalom, Keiran Thomas, Jacob Jagger Cane and Emlyn Lewis were all back into the starting lineup.
The Seagulls were to get the opener when a precise kick forward from Absalom found Reid beating the high Bristol City line, and he managed to loft his attempt over the onrushing Lewis Thomas from 18 yards and into the back of the net for his first goal of pre-season.
Ollie Chamberlain drove over the bar for Weston when being slipped through by James Waite, before Olly Thomas stung the hands of Absalom at the near post down the other end. Jagger Cane had a shot from inside the area deflect wide of the target after being set up by Reid, before Keiran Thomas dragged a shot from Luke Coulson’s corner into the arms of his namesake Lewis between the City sticks.
The visitors were to equalise when a corner from former Weston loanee Omar Taylor-Clarke found the head of Archie Taylor at the back post amongst a crowd, and he was able to divert his header just inside the post to level things up.
Half-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 1 – 1 Bristol City U21s
In the opening moments of the second half, Kai Churchley dragged a shot across goal before Taylor headed another Taylor-Clarke corner wide of the target, before KT headed over a Coulson corner down the other end.
Waite drove into the side-netting following a sharp team move by the Seagulls, before City’s Billy Phillips had a curling attempt from 25 yards take a nick off a defender and deflect over the bar. Morgan Lewis then saw an attempt from 18 yards palmed away by Thomas, with McCootie stooping to head the rebound over from six yards.
Weston came close to getting their noses in front again when Absalom’s kick up the pitch released McCootie, who got to the ball before Thomas and took it round him but from an angle, his left-footed effort was cleared off the line by a City defender. From the resulting corner, Coulson’s delivery was helped onto the bar and over by Emlyn Lewis.
In the final minutes, Taylor-Clarke fired a free-kick over from 25 yards before Academy product Brandon Bak, wearing the red of Bristol City, won the ball from Emlyn Lewis and dragged a shot wide from 18 yards on his left foot.
Full-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 1 – 1 Bristol City U21s (Reid 7;Taylor 25)
Weston XI: Absalom, Thomas (Avery 63), Pope (Trialist B 76), Jagger Cane (Kempster 63), Dodd (Trialist A 76), Reid (McCootie 63), Waite (Crawford 76), Coulson (C), Morgan Lewis (Trialist C 76), Emlyn Lewis, Chamberlain.
Unused substitute: Croft.
Attendance: 740.
MOTM: Emlyn Lewis. The centre-back has settled into life well at The Optima, his leadership from the back and crunching style of play again on style against a youthful Bristol City side.
