Oli Jenkins, Sam Avery, Ollie Chamberlain, Morgan Lewis & Nick McCootie were all in from our league outing at the weekend against Dorking Wanderers, while there was a space for Soule on the bench after his recent loan at Mickleover. The rest of the bench were all made up of Academy prospects.

McCootie went close inside the opening minute when forcing former Seagulls stopper Lloyd Irish into a save, while Chris Zebroski drove over the bar down the other end from 25 yards when being given space.

Zebroski went close to breaking the deadlock when managing to round Max Harris, but his low attempt was stopped on the line by the covering Avery. McCootie then drove a deflected shot over the bar when latching on to a loose ball down the opposite end. Pearson then went close to opening the score when bringing down a long Ollie Chamberlain diagonal, and seeing his cross-shot strike the inside of the post and roll away.

Pedro Borges saw a strike from 25 yards, while Avery and McCootie were just unable to force home a Pearson corner. Ollie Woodhouse then headed narrowly wide from a Harris Feltham free-kick, allowed to attack the ball freely inside the Weston penalty area.

The Peacocks were to break the deadlock when Feltham dinked a free-kick to the back post and arriving right on cue was seasoned striker Zebroski, who got across his man and volleyed in through the legs of Harris for a first goal in Taunton colours.

McCootie came narrowly close to levelling, Pearson’s driven cross across the face of goal inches ahead of him. Jenkins was then able to put the ball in the back of the net, but his goal was disallowed as it was deemed McCootie had run the ball out of play when taking on his man. Chamberlain then fired over the bar after some good play between Lewis and Jenkins.

Half-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 0 – 1 Taunton Town

Positional changes for a few players at the start of the second half saw Bastin almost level immediately, his strike from a Lewis pull-back blocked on the line before Borges dragged the rebound wide through a crowd of bodies. Borges then saw a delicate free-kick from 20 yards deflect wide off of a Taunton head.

The Seagulls were to level when Pearson’s corner was headed away by a Taunton man to Kadji 25 yards out, who controlled the ball and let fly with a curling effort around the crowd of bodies in the penalty area. The ball nestled in the bottom corner as the midfielder celebrated his second goal of the campaign.

As Taunton looked to get back ahead, Harris claimed a deflected Tom Smith shot from 25 yards before Irish kept out a McCootie shot at the front post down the other end. Harris then easily held a Jayden Nielsen attempt from 20 yards after the winger had worked a yard of space to let fly.

Kadji saw a 30-yard free-kick deflect wide of the target, before Chamberlain was kept out by former Taunton team-mate Irish when being put through by Borges. Avery then went close when attacking Borges’ corner, but his downward header was cleared off the line. Chamberlain then got himself another opportunity, this time heading Borges’ drilled free-kick wide.

The winner was to come when Weston won the ball down their right through Keiran Thomas and Borges, the ball being worked quickly out to Lewis breaking down the left. He played an exquisite pass over the top into the path of substitute Soule, who brought the pass under control and slotted past Irish for his fourth goal in this competition.

There was still time for Weston to be denied a third, Irish tipping Chamberlain’s shot from 25 yards round the post as Weston progress through to the next round.

On Saturday, we return to league action with a home clash against Welling United, the Seagulls looking to build on their past two results.

Full-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 2 – 1 Taunton Town (Kadji 60, Soule 87; Zebroski 23)

Weston XI: Harris, Thomas, Bastin, Kadji, Avery, Pearson (Ayers 70), Morgan Lewis, Borges, Chamberlain, Jenkins, McCootie (Soule 70).

Unused substitutes: Pashley, Ozua, Oliver, Green, Singfield.

Man of the Match: Morgan Lewis. A strong display from the defender, featuring at both centre-back and left-back. Some strong runs out from defence and an excellent assist for the winner.