Match report written by Rob Hammett, photography by Ade Threasher
Weston and Hemel Hempstead gained a point each in a closely-fought encounter at the Optima Stadium.
Following Tuesday’s 3-1 victory at Slough Town, The Seagulls made two changes to the starting eleven as Sam Avery and Oli Jenkins replaced Josh Seberry and Pedro Borges respectively, who were both named on the substitutes’ bench.
Weston had the first real opportunity to break the deadlock from a free-kick around 35 yards out, although it would have been more advantageous if the referee had allowed the game to continue.
From the free-kick, Luke Coulson rolled the ball behind the Hemel defence into the path of Dylan Kadji, but his angled drive went just wide.
After that, The Tudors had three great opportunities to take the lead, as George Williams fired over under pressure from Max Harris, before the former Bristol Rovers player looked destined to score again when his shot was turned behind for a corner.
Sam Avery also showed his great positional awareness with a great interception after Joe White took the ball around Harris, but White’s attempted pass to a team-mate was read superbly by Avery, who made a number of timely blocks and interceptions throughout the afternoon.
HALF-TIME: Weston-super-Mare AFC 0-0 Hemel Hempstead Town
At the start of the second 45 minutes, half-time sub Morgan Lewis sent in a cross that was volleyed just over by Jenkins.
The deadlock was finally broken early in the second-half when The Tudors took the lead. A corner from the right proved to be hard to deal with, and the loose ball fell nicely into the path of Kai Brosnan, who fired home from 15 yards via the post.
Ollie Bray was in the thick of the action when he received James Dodd’s pass but his shot was pushed out for a corner by King. From the resulting corner, Emlyn Lewis headed just over from Coulson’s tricky delivery.
Fortunately for Weston, Hemel’s lead didn’t last long. Keiran Thomas’ ball forward was controlled beautifully by the impressive Bray. The on-loan Aldershot forward was rudely barged to the ground by a Tudors’ defender, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot immediately.
Despite goalkeeper King’s attempts to outsmart Coulson, it proved to be futile as Weston’s top goalscorer sent him the wrong way from the penalty spot.
Bray then forced another corner which eventually led to King making his best save of the game, as the ball found its way to the busy Bray but his point-blank header was brilliantly saved by the Hemel stopper.
There proved to be more action in a more entertaining second-half, and it looked like Weston had nicked all three points in injury time. Ollie Chamberlain’s cross was headed goalwards by Bray and Kadji tapped home from close range, but the linesman’s flag was raised for offside to dampen The Seagulls’ joy.
Weston now have seven days until their next Vanarama National League South fixture, an away game at Boreham Wood on Saturday, 8th February.
FULL-TIME: Weston-super-Mare AFC 1-1 Hemel Hempstead Town (Coulson pen 67; Brosnan 52′)
Weston: Harris; Thomas, Emlyn Lewis, Avery, Chamberlain; Kadji, Dodd; Jenkins (Borges 64′), Bray, Coulson; Pearson (Morgan Lewis HT)
Subs not used: Croft, Seberry, Ayers
Attendance: 830
Man of the match: James Dodd. Another impressive performance in the midfield engine room for Dodd, often instigating some of Weston’s best attacks.
