A new trialist was included on the bench for the Seagulls, while Callum Wood, Louis Britton and Sam Pearson all started to face their former side. Within the City ranks, Raphael Araoye began the match on the bench.
Louis Britton had the game’s first chance when his shot from 25 yards was pushed away by Josey Casa Grande, before Jack Hooper drove over the bar down the other end inside the area following some quick City passing. Max Harris was then called into action for the first time, pushing away Victor Akinbo’s driven effort.
Leo Pecover fired wide from 25 yards for City, before Harris was again well positioned to push away another fierce drive from Hooper. Sam Pearson then got an opportunity following Britton’s flick-on from a long Harris kick, but his 25-yard volley was blocked by Cavali Walker.
The Seagulls took the lead 10 minutes before half-time when a combination of Britton and James Waite managed to keep hold of a long Harris kick into the Bristol City half, the latter managing to poke the ball on to Pearson on the right. The winger worked the angle onto his right foot inside the area and drove a low effort past Casa Grande into the bottom corner for his second goal of pre-season.
Half-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 1 – 0 Bristol City U21s
Bristol City were to grab an equaliser nine minutes after the half-time break when an inswinging corner saw Weston fail to deal with the danger, and Victor Akinbo was on hand to poke in from close range six yards out when racing onto the loose ball.
Weston looked for an immediate response, Wood heading narrowly wide from Dan Martin’s corner at the back post.
The visitors did get their noses in front just past the hour mark when a pass-back from Sam Avery to Harris saw Akinbo race forward to try and block the clearance, Harris’ clearance striking the body of the Bristol City No.9. The ball rolled towards goal and with Harris left in a foot race against the rapid Akinbo, the striker just reached the ball first to poke in for 2 – 1.
Late on, substitute Josh Salmon caused some danger to Bristol City with his directness as he flashes some crosses across Casa Grande’s goal, while fellow sub Jake Hicks saw an effort from 20 yards held low down by City’s No.1 with the final kick of the game.
The run-out will once again be an effective one for Scott Bartlett’s side, as players continue to build up their minutes before the big kick-off. We finish off our pre-season tests with a friendly against Yeovil Town at The Optima this Saturday.
Full-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 1 – 2 Bristol City (Pearson 34 – Akinbo 54, 61)
Attendance: 787.
Weston XI: Harris, Smith (Dawes 46), Pope (Jenkins 80), Wood, Avery, Coulson (C) (Trialist A 66), Dodd (Hicks 80), Britton, Waite (Jagger Cane 66), Pearson (Salmon 80), Martin.
MOTM: James Dodd. Kept the midfield ticking over with some intricate passes and battled well out of possession during his time on the pitch.
