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Weston-super-Mare AFC - Match Reports

Match reports - Season 2007 - 2008

Weston-s-Mare 1 v 5 Salisbury

14/07/2007 -Friendly - 3.00pm

Created by Stuart Marshall

After the heroics on Wednesday evening when the Seagulls held a full strength Plymouth Argyle squad to a single goal margin, Weston were brought back down to earth with this mauling from the Blue Square Premier newcomers on Saturday, conceding five goals with some sloppy defending and rarely threatening to trouble the visitors defence whose towering back four dominated proceedings throughout.

As with most friendly games both teams swapped and changed players throughout, Salisbury opting to change their entire line-up for the second half but even that ploy didn't disrupt their dominance of a game played out in front of just 156 spectators.

It took the visitors just two minutes to open their account when centre forward Paul Sales, who won just about every ball in the air in the first half, headed down and Darrell Clarke, in acres of space, was allowed the time to pick his spot and rifle home from the edge of the box.

Weston then won a corner on the left but when the ball was played back to Andy Chapman his curling cross into the box was high and wide. At the other end Sales again was able to climb above everyone to knock the ball back across goal but this time his header was misdirected and fell behind his attacking team-mates.

Weston's best chance of the first half came from another corner and central defender Andy Robertson was only just wide with a powerful header.

Ian hering was the next to profit from another Sales knock down but he struck his effort wide of the post before Weston skipper Craig Loxton's snap shot forced visiting keeper Ryan Clarke to dive to his left to palm the ball away.

On the half hour Salisbury increased their lead when a dubious free kick was awarded against Loxton, up stepped Luke Prince and he curled the ball over the wall and out of reach of the hands of Weston keeper Ben John.

The second half saw much of the same although on fifty one minutes Weston brought on triallist Francis Rolli and with his first touch of the ball he reduced the arrears. Loxton, Barry McConnell, and Gareth Hopkins combined in a neat move down the right flank and when Hopkins delivered the ball to the far post Rolli stole in to beat the new keeper James Bittner with a strong header.

This stung the visitors into action and inside three minutes they had reaffirmed their authority, a defensive lapse allowed Mike Fowler the time to stroke the ball past the helpless John and restore the two-goal advantage.

Rolli almost reduced the deficit when he moved in on a Hopkins flick on but his shot was just too high but that was the last chance that Weston created as the visitors added two more goals in the closing minutes. A cross from the left found Fowler who shot home from 12 yards and then a misdirected defensive header allowed the nippy Liam Feeney in and he rounded Ryan Northmore to fire into the empty net. Weston's next home friendly is on Tuesday July 24th when they entertain BGB Southern League near neighbours Taunton Town K.O. 7.30pm, the new management team of Tony Ricketts and Assistant Chris Smith will be looking for a far more disciplined approach as they prepare for the new Blue Square South campaign which kicks off on Saturday August 11th when the Seagulls entertain Thurrock at the Woodspring Stadium.

Game Statistics

Weston-s-Mare scorers - Rolli
Salisbury City scorers - Clarke, Prince, Fowler 2, Feeney
Shots on target -
Shots off target -
Corners -
Offsides -
Freekicks -
Bookings -
Refereee -

Weston (Starting line-up) John, McConnell, Chapman, Rand, Robertson, Loxton, Grubb, Hale, Wright, Ingram, Wilson. Subs used during the second half. Willshire, Northmore, Hopkins, Rolli, Smith, Powell, Bailey.

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