Match Report by Rob Hammett, Photography by Mark Stainer & Ade Threasher
On a memorable day for the football club, Weston put in a fantastic display against League One Bristol Rovers, before eventually losing by three goals to one after extra-time.
Ahead of the FA Cup First Round proper tie, Weston’s first for six years, manager Scott Bartlett made three changes to his starting eleven as Jason Pope, Dylan Kadji and Jordan Bastin replaced Jacob Jagger Cane, Sam Pearson and Nick McCootie respectively.
And from the kick-off, The Seagulls showed that they were far from overawed with the occasion as they took the game to their League One opponents at the Memorial Stadium. James Dood tried his luck from distance with his fierce shot being fumbled around the post by the busy Josh Griffiths, before Rovers responded with an effort fired over by Chris Martin, who had to hurry as he was put under pressure from Emlyn Lewis, and a spectacular block on the line from the excellent Reuben Reid as The Pirates looked poised to score.
Gas playmaker Isaac Hutchinson’s goalbound shot was headed clear by Sam Avery in one of many instances of great defending from the warrior-like defender, before Max Harris did well to keep out another effort from the same player. Weston were next to attack as Reid, playing at the ground a stones throw from where he grew up, got in a shot on target that Griffiths did well to hold onto.
It had been an even first-half but Rovers took the lead when good work down the left from Clinton Mola and Hutchinson saw the ball flash across the area, where Jamie Lindsay powerfully swept home to break the deadlock.
Kadji then had an opportunity to equalise when Luke Coulson nodded into his path following a misplaced Rovers pass, but Kadji’s effort lacked the power it needed.
HALF-TIME: Bristol Rovers 1-0 Weston-super-Mare AFC
Reid and Coulson were having superb games and were a constant threat to the Rovers defence. The two combined with Coulson’s shot being turned behind for a corner. From the set-piece, Coulson’s delivery found the head of Dodd but Griffiths was equal to it again.
Ollie Chamberlain, playing for the first time since getting injured at Lowestoft, fired just over from 25 yards as Weston were having the better of the second-half.
Their persistence finally paid off when Coulson ran at the Pirates defence, before his wonderful pass found the run of Bastin. He cut in from the right and unleashed a ferocious effort past Griffiths to earn a leveller to send the 1,800 Weston fans into dreamland.
Hutchinson was inches away from putting Rovers back in front, but it was The Seagulls next to go close as Coulson’s cross was headed goalwards by Reid, but Griffiths back-pedalled to pull off a magnificent save and tip the ball over for yet another Seagulls corner.
It was then Harris’ turn to keep the forwards at bay as he denied Hutchinson, before then making an incredible save with his foot to deny Bryant Bilongo after good approach play involving substitute Luke Thomas.
It had been a pulsating second-half in what had proved to be an end-to-end encounter. With the scores level after 90 minutes the game moved to extra-time.
The start to the additional 30 minutes had been a lot slower, but The Pirates retook the lead in the 95th minute as Luke McCormick’s cross from the left was headed home powerfully by big central defender, Connor Taylor.
The Seagulls did their best to respond as Billy Kirkman’s diagonal pass found the dangerman Reid, but a Rovers’ defender poked it away in the nick of time.
In the remainder of extra-time, it was the League One side who looked more of a threat going forward as Harris again thwarted McCormick, before Avery once more put his body on the line with some heroic defending.
As the game looked set for a 2-1 scoreline, substitute Grant Ward settled the outcome for The Pirates by curling the ball into the top corner.
That third goal for Rovers was cruel on Weston, as they certainly didn’t deserve to lose by a two-goal margin, with that Ward strike giving The Gas a more flattering scoreline.
The performance shows the great progress Weston have made this season, as attention now turns back to Vanarama National League South, as Weymouth make the trip to the Optima Stadium on Tuesday night.
FULL-TIME (after extra-time): Bristol Rovers 3-1 Weston-super-Mare AFC (Lindsay 42′, Taylor 95′, Ward 120+2′; Bastin 64′)
Weston: Harris; Thomas, Kirkman (Rose 105’), Avery, Lewis (Chamberlain 39’, Bak 108’); Pope, Kadji, Dodd, Coulson, Bastin (McCootie 65’); Reid.
Unused subs: Absalom, Jagger Cane, Soule.
Attendance: 6,898 (1,824 away supporters)
Man of the Match: Sam Avery. An absolutely outstanding defensive performance from the Weston stalwart, coping immensely well throughout the 120 minutes against the League One outfit. Calm and composed as ever.
