Seasiders overcome tough challenge at Everest Road

Weston dig deep to subdue resurgent Pats”.

This was a tough competitive match against a pumped up and aggressive Pats team which on this showing should be several places higher. How on earth they have only won once, and leaked 67 points against Brixham are two of the worlds’ great mysteries. They will surely start to climb the table.

Weston, with three enforced changes, and playing down the notorious Everest Rd. slope, were ahead within a minute as immediate forward pressure created a penalty which Mackay kicked from close range.

Unfortunately open side flanker Morris was injured in the build up to leave the field immediately, hospital bound with a suspected compound fracture of the finger, to be replaced by Eaton.

Their first try came after 19 minutes when a rolling maul took them to the Pats line and prop forward Swann touched down under the posts for Mackay to improve for a 10-0 lead.

This was reduced seven minutes later when the home side, whose set scrummage was proving equal to that of the visitors, drove over from five metres to give Pettigrew his regulation short range touchdown. Gwilliam, who had a wretched afternoon with the boot, was unable to convert. In fact, with both sides scoring three tries, it was goalkicking which was to make the difference.

Two minutes later, Pats made a mess of trying to clear their lines and the alert and speedy Arnold beat the cover for his eighth try of this campaign. Mackay converted from wide out to nudge Weston 17-5 ahead but on the stroke of half time, this was reduced to 17-8 as Gwilliam kicked a straightforward penalty for his only success. The visitors, in a strangely disjointed performance, had not made the most of the infamous slope, and doubtless the home side would have been the happier after the first forty minutes. The “knowledgeable” home supporters are adamant that the slope is worth twelve points!

Old Pats started positively after the break, pressurising the Weston line through their backs, who had looked lively all afternoon. Mackay was yellow carded for allegedly holding on close to the line, and full advantage was taken when Gwilliam slipped through to score to close to 17-13.

The visitors added 3 points when Young, in Mackays’ absence, kicked a 40 metre penalty, and Mackay repeated the feat on his return to the field to ease Weston out to 23-13.

The Weston side was now looking stronger, dominating possession and field position as their forwards finally began to get on top of their opponents. From a series of lines-out and the subsequent forward impetus, scrum half Waldon was on hand to finish off a forward drive. The conversion was missed but at 28-13 with seven minutes remaining, the match was won.

On full time, Aherne touched down for the home side. Westons’ doggedness had beaten the slope to edge the second half, and to win 28-18.

The Club is indebted to 40 year old David Bird, who, with Withers injured and Burge unavailable, dusted off his boots to answer the hooking crisis. The former captain played the whole eighty minutes in what had been the toughest match “up front” to date. He could hardly step up onto the bus to return home. Wonder what Sunday morning was like!

At the other end of the age scale, 19 year old Luke Blizzard made his albeit brief debut for the first team since joining from Clevedon to emulate the feat of his father Alan, who played for Weston in the eighties.

Weston team.. Bennett, Arnold, Jones, Mackay, Smee, Young (Blizzard), Waldon, Swann,(Donegan), Bird, Hobbs, Somers, Russell, Wright, Morris (Eaton), Simpson.