Match Report by Rob Hammett
Luke Coulson scored an incredible hat-trick, and provided one assist, as Weston won by four goals to two at Hornchurch in a memorable Vanarama National League South clash.
Coulson’s third goal deep in second-half injury-time is no doubt the most remarkable goal ever scored by a Weston player, as he somehow scored from deep inside his own penalty area as Hornchurch desperately attempted to gain an unlikely equaliser.
Ahead of the game in Essex, The Seagulls made two changes to the starting line-up as Josh Seberry and Jacob Jagger-Cane were named in the first eleven, while new signing Louis Britton was given a place on the substitutes’ bench.
Weston have been in great form away from home lately, and they started confidently at the Hornchurch Stadium as captain for the day Luke Coulson’s free-kick from 25 yards took a deflection before being saved by goalkeeper Mason Terry.
But it was Coulson who gave The Seagulls a deserved lead with his 20th goal of the season. A Hornchurch defender managed to clear the ball only as far as the former Dartford man, whose volley from 25 yards took a deflection before finding the back of the net.
At the other end, Max Harris made some good saves to deny Giles Phillips and Makai Welch as the home side enjoyed one or two decent spells in the first-half but, in truth, The Seagulls largely dominated the opening 45 minutes.
And Weston scored a much-deserved second when Coulson’s sumptuous cross from the left was emphatically headed home by Reuben Reid’s bullet header from 15 yards. A textbook cross and a textbook header.
HALF-TIME: Hornchurch 0-2 Weston-super-Mare AFC
At the start of the second-half, Reid nodded on towards Sam Pearson but his fierce effort was kept out by Terry, who was certainly earning his money today.
A third goal at that stage would have put the game to bed, but it was Hornchurch who reduced the arrears shortly after. Half-time sub George Saunders was involved as his low cross was turned home at close-range by Hornchurch star man, Darren McQueen.
The Urchins were now pressing for a leveller as they forced a succession of corners, but Harris and co at the back stood firm.
The Seagulls were able to get themselves back on the attack, however, and they were awarded a penalty after Coulson was brought down in the box after a tidy one-two with Reid. Coulson dusted himself down and sent Terry the wrong way from 12 yards.
Weston were now back on top again as an outrageous flick from Jagger-Cane set up Pearson, who played in Coulson but the ball went over the bar.
Reid then hit the crossbar with an effort from just outside the area, before Hornchurch halved the deficit again to set up a tense finish, as Angelo Balanta headed home a free-kick from Charlee Adams.
As the game entered stoppage time at the end of the game, Hornchurch were enjoying another spell on top and Weston would have seriously feared leaving Essex without all three points.
But bizarrely it was Hornchurch’s final corner of the game that led to The Seagulls extending their lead. Goalkeeper Terry had joined his team-mates in the Weston penalty area, but the ball eventually landed near Coulson close to his own penalty spot. What seemed like a routine clearance then turned into the realisation that the ball was heading for the other goal nearly 90 yards away, and astonishingly the ball trickled into the back of the net to seal a fantastic awayday win for The Seagulls.
Coulson took home the matchball after his first senior hat-trick, on the day that manager Scott Bartlett celebrated his 150th win as The Seagulls’ manager.
FULL-TIME: Hornchurch 2-4 Weston-super-Mare AFC (McQueen 53′, Balanta 87; Coulson 14′, pen 60′, 90+6′, Reid 32′)
Weston: Harris; Dawes, Seberry, Avery, Bastin; Jagger-Cane, Kadji, Dodd; Pearson (Waite 84′), Reid (Britton 76′), Coulson
Unused substitutes: Jenkins, Borges, Soule
Attendance: 615
Man of the Match: Luke Coulson. The easiest MOTM decision of the season. An absolutely outstanding performances from today’s captain, three goals and one assist, with the third goal being one that will be replayed over and over again for many weeks to come. It is some feat to score from pretty much both penalty spots in the same half of football.
