Goals from Sam Pearson, Reuben Reid & James Waite saw Weston win 3 – 0 against Tonbridge Angels and move up the league table into seventh place.
Louis Britton was handed his first start for the club, in the only change from Saturday’s abandoned fixture against our midweek opponents as Dylan Kadji dropped to the bench.
Matt Rowley in the visitors’ net was called into action early on to deny Sam Avery after the defender had helped a Luke Coulson set-piece towards goal, before the rebound from Will Dawes 18 yards out was deflected wide.
The opening strike was to come in the ninth minute when Coulson won the ball midway inside the opposition half and picked out Britton, who spun a pass inside to the overlapping Jordan Bastin. Holding off his man as he drove infield, Bastin fed Britton down his outside into the area whose low attempt struck the base of the post. The ball bounced out to Pearson six yards out, who controlled on his thigh and lashed home for an 11th goal of the season.
Britton had a few chances to open his Weston account, the first coming when was slipped through by Dawes but was denied by the foot of Rowley. The No.19 then drove over the bar from the edge of the area following some neat play between Coulson and Dawes, before the striker then saw a shot tipped round the post by Rowley after he took aim from 18 yards.
Coulson dragged an attempt wide of the target from 25 yards following a throw-in, before Britton had the final opportunity of the half when nodding over a cross from first-half substitute Keiran Thomas.
Half-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 1 – 0 Tonbridge Angels
At the beginning of the second half, a low attempt from Christie Ward was easily gathered by the grateful Max Harris while down the other end, a powerful Thomas header struck the underside of the bar and bounced away after a delicious free-kick delivery from Coulson. Rowley was called into action again, this time pushing away a Reid effort on the turn inside the box following Thomas’ cross.
The Angels were still in the tie, going close when a deflected Jack Wood shot from the edge of the box was scooped up by Harris on his line. Nazir Bakrin then scrambled a long throw wide at the near post as the ball dropped his way.
Weston were to double their advantage when a free-kick from Coulson was put right on a plate for Reid inside the area, who powered a header past Rowley to score his tenth league goal of the season.
Rowley was again kept busy by the Seagulls attack, denying substitute Waite inside the area after the attacking midfielder had ran through following a neat backheel into his path.
Waite wasn’t to be denied moments later, turning on a sixpence 18 yards out after some excellent work down the left by fellow substitute Jamie Soule and firing low into the bottom corner past the Tonbridge No.1 for his first goal since returning to the club last summer.
The Seagulls now sit in the final playoff place heading into the penultimate weekend of the Vanarama National League South season, with a trip to Chippenham Town coming up this Good Friday (18th April).
Full-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 3 – 0 Tonbridge Angels (Pearson 9, Reid 69, Waite 85)
Weston XI: Harris, Bastin (Kadji 45+3), Avery, Jagger Cane (Seberry 89), Dodd, Reid (Waite 73), Pearson (Soule 83), Coulson, Lewis (C), Dawes (Thomas 44), Britton.
Attendance: 904.
MOTM: Louis Britton. A handful all night long for the Tonbridge defenders, his aerial presence and linkup play a threat throughout the course of the 90 minutes.
