Five changes were made from last Saturday’s 2 – 1 win over Eastbourne Borough, with Callum Wood, new signing Liam Sercombe, Jake Hicks, George Birch and James Waite all coming into the starting XI for Dan Martin, James Dodd, Will Dawes, Emlyn Lewis and the departed Sam Pearson.
Louis Britton went close inside the opening quarter hour, his toe-poke being turned behind by Will Henry following a run down the right by Birch and subsequent pull-back to Hicks on the edge of the area whose shot was dragged into the No.9’s feet. The striker then had a powerful effort kept out by the feet of Chippenham’s No. 1 after turning inside the area and beating his man following an interception. Birch then went close for the Seagulls, his 20-yard drive clearing the bar.
The Seagulls were to get their noses in front midway inside the half when a Coulson free-kick from out wide dropped into the box, and allowed Wood on the stretch to poke in for his second goal of the campaign.
Birch danced his way into the area and saw his shot from an angle kept out by the body of Henry, before Owen-Evans went close from 25 yards with a looping shot over Max Harris that clipped the top of the crossbar. Harry Parsons then saw a 25-yard attempt caught by Weston’s No.1.
Coulson had a volley inside the box deflect wide for a corner, while down the other end Anointed Chukwu curled wide on the half-turn from 18 yards. Britton fired over the bar from 18 yards following a scuffed Bluebirds clearance, while Parsons saw a free header from six yards drop wide of the target.
Half – Time: Chippenham Town 0 – 1 Weston-super-Mare AFC
In a quieter second half, Harris denied substitute Ezio Touray at the near post after the striker turned inside the area, before Owen-Evans had an attempt tipped round the post by Harris following Ethan Vaughan’s pull-back. Chukwu then glanced a Tom Mehew cross wide, before Waite saw a long-range strike held by Henry and Britton’s 25-yard free-kick was gathered by the keeper in additional time.
The Seagulls now look ahead towards our triple-header at home in the Enterprise National League South, when Ebbsfleet United visit this coming Tuesday,
Full – Time: Chippenham Town 0 – 1 Weston-super-Mare AFC (Wood 21)
Attendance: 300
Weston XI: Harris, Smith (Johnson 73), Wood, Avery (Lewis HT), Coulson, Britton, Waite, Birch (Oliver 86), Sercombe (Dodd 61), Hicks, Cummins.
Unused substitute: Glover.
MOTM: George Birch. An all-action display from the Exeter loanee, who was instrumental in large passages of play as the Seagulls broke forward during the first half and helped maintain defensive structure off the ball in the second period.
