United 3 (Stobbs 13′, Jude-Boyd 15′, 83′)
Weston-super-Mare 3 (Bastin 27′, Kempster 51′, Reid 87′) Match Sponsor Roger Lester & Friends The Gulls and the Seagulls couldn’t be separated on Bank Holiday Monday, as they played out a thrilling draw at Plainmoor. Early goals from Jack Stobbs and Arkell Jude-Boyd set the stage for an entertaining afternoon, before Jordan Bastin’s strike midway through the first half brought Weston back into the match. When Weston levelled in the opening minutes of the second half through Bailey Kempster, the result was well and truly in the balance, prior to both sides netting again in the dying stages through Jude-Boyd again, and Reuben Reid for Weston, to se the final score pegged at 3-3. Interim Manager Aaron Downes made one change to the side that went down 3-0 at Yeovil three days ago, with Ross Marshall replacing Austen Booth, with the latter dropping down to the substitutes bench. United started the match on the front foot, and nearly broke the deadlock with less than three minutes on the clock. A deflected cross from the right saw Weston goalkeeper Max Harris caught in no man’s land, and although he just about managed to smother Will Jenkins Davies’ effort inside the box, the ball fell kindly to Ethon Archer to his left, only for the winger to send his side-footed effort wide. That pattern continues for some time after, with Downes’ side forcing the visitors back against their own goal. The Seagulls’ first foray upfield very nearly proved fruitful however though, with some indecisive clearing of the lines resulting in Kempster seeing his 15-yard strike cleared off the goalline by a well-placed Dean Moxey.
United took the lead on 13 minutes. Jude-Boyd’s central run allowed Archer to peel off to his left, and with his cross drilled across the edge of the six-yard box, Stobbs was ideally placed to bury his shot into net. 1-0 quickly became 2-0. This time it a case of scorer-turned-provider, as a right-wing cross from Stobbs found Jude-Boyd in acres of space at the back-post, with the QPR loanee allowed ample time to pick his spot and slot home from just left of the penalty spot. Just when we were all looking forward to a comfortable afternoon, the side from Somerset announced their arrival into proceedings in the 27th minute.
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