Weston-super-Mare vs Gresley Rovers
This was a frustrating match for the travelling Gresley Rovers fans who had made the long journey down to the seaside.
Gresley could easily have got at least a point but fell short in the second half. They had matched their hosts for most of the match and if they had taken their chances could quite easily have come back home with all three points. Gresley continue to create the chances but are failing to put them away.
The first chance came as early as the 2nd minute. Gresley were pushing forward and a clever one-two between Jamie Barrett and Gary Smith led to Smith hitting the ball against the legs of the home side skipper Mike Kilgour.
Two minutes later saw the keeper in action again as he held on to a deep cross from Gary White.
On 8 minutes another chance fell to Gresley. Jamie Barrett played a superb ball through to Gary Smith and Jones was quickly off his line and as he headed the ball away it fell to Paul Tomlinson who's shot from 35 yards towards the unguarded net went narrowly wide.
The first notable chance for the home side came when James Lindley in the Gresley goal fumbled a shot from Kilgour but before Jodie Bevan could capitalise on the error the Gresley defence had scrambled the ball away.
On 26 minutes it took an excellent tackle by Mark Peters to deny Stuart Slater as he raced in on goal.
It was Peters again who this time put the hearts of the home fans in their mouths when he saw Jones well off his line and sent a chip that only just cleared the bar.
On 34 minutes Richard Wardle put a pinpoint pass to Tomlinson who's cross took a deflection causing mayhem in the Weston defence before being scrambled to safety by Jones.
Craig Hopkins went close on 40 minutes but his shot sailed over the bar.
On 42 minutes Jon Newsome brought himself into the action replacing Ian Bluck who was suffering a hamstring injury.
A couple of minutes later Jones did well to gather the ball from a Peters free kick while under pressure from both White and Tomlinson.
Right on the stroke of half-time Weston's Alan Bird tested Lindley from 20 yards but the Gresley keeper was up to the task and took the ball well.
Gresley started the better for the second period and on 48 minutes a Peters free kick was flicked on by Newsome and Barrett was unlucky shooting straight at the keeper.
Lindley, who had had a relatively quite first period, had to be on his toes when Bevan tried to get on the end of Ryan Cross's pass but the keeper saved well on the edge of his box.
On 52 minutes the lively Barrett made a clever run into the defence but his final shot let him down and the ball went well wide of the post.
Gresley had a narrow escape when Lindley flapped at a Bevan cross and Dave Lee's resulting shot was luckily deflected over.
On 65 minutes Gresley made their second change of the game bringing on Neil Kitching for Tomlinson.
On 68 minutes, against the run of play, Weston scored the decisive goal. Weston were awarded a free kick just inside their own half. Cross sent the ball high into the Gresley box where Kilgour neatly flicked it on and Martyn Sullivan made no mistake and put the ball beyond Lindley and into the net from 15 yards.
Gresley tried hard to get the deserved equaliser and on 73 minutes Kitching put a pass to Carl Timms who's superb pass to Smith a great chance but the striker put his shot disappointingly wide.
It was Smith who could have salvaged a point right at the end of the game. A fine cross from Barrett took a deflection and fell at the feet of the Gresley striker. He expertly controlled the ball but the keeper saved his shot with his legs.
The manager's view
"We made a lot of chances today and we missed them. If you don't put them away you don't win games.
"There's an old footballing cliché that says 'goals change games' and our chances were good ones.
"I felt Tommo was a bit unlucky with his half chance, but Smithy has got to score from there. He's got to at least hit the target with his first chance and the second one he just needed to pass the ball into the net, but it hit his legs.
"I was pleased to see Kitch back in action. His knee injury proved to be just a burst blood vessel and the surgeon gave him the all clear on Friday.
"Blucky's injury could take quite a while and he could be out for the foreseeable future."
Weston-super-Mare (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorer: Sullivan 68
Weston-super-Mare: Jones, Lee (Mehew 62), Bird (Blakemore 62), Cross, Kilgour, Hunt, Thomas, Slater, O'Hagan, Bevan (Souter 84), Sullivan. Subs not used: Wilson, Martin.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, Cheetham, Peters, Bluck (Newsome 32), Evans, Barrett, Hopkins (Timms 70), Tomlinson (Kitching 65), Smith, G White. Subs not used: Alexander, Clarke (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Jamie Barrett – tried hard in midfield.
Referee: N Jones (Plymouth).
Attendance: 302
