United 3
(Dennis 6′, 79′, Jay 43′)
Weston-super-Mare 1
(Cummins 72′)
There was plenty of festive cheer at Plainmoor on Boxing Day, as United secured a fine victory over promotion-chasing rivals Weston-super-Mare.
Goals from Louis Dennis and Matt Jay gave United a 2-0 goal advantage at the break, before Charlie Cummins halved the arrears in the latter stages. Dennis’ second goal shortly after steadied any nerves though to make it a Merry Christmas for over 5,000 of the Yellow Army inside Plainmoor.
Gulls boss Paul Wotton opted to make one change from the side that went down 1-0 at AFC Totton in their last outing before Christmas, as Callum Dolan and Dylan Morgan switched places, with the former returning to the starting line-up.
The match was just six minutes old when The Gulls broke the deadlock.
A ball over the top caught the visiting backline out, and with Dennis onto it like a flash, United’s No.7 made little of a testing position on the right of the penalty area by lofting the ball over the top of advancing Weston goalkeeper Max Harris, and over the goal line – despite appeals from the away contingent that the ball had been hacked away in time.
Boosted by the goal, the rest of the first period saw the men in yellow soak up everything that their opponents could offer, whilst remaining a constant threat on the break.
That control over proceedings was rewarded with a second goal two minutes before the interval.
Jordan Young’s corner was delivered to perfection to Sam Dreyer at the near post, and with his header directed across the face of goal, Jay was on hand to smash home the loose ball from six yards out.
2-0 at the change of ends.
The second half failed to live up to the first half’s standards as The Gulls largely nullified The Seagull’s efforts to get back into the game, until the 72nd minute saw Weston halve the deficit.
Having temporarily been reduced to ten men as Jordan Dyer received treatment, Weston made the extra man count as a ball into the ball was diverted into the net by the outstretched boot of Charlie Cummins.
It wasn’t long before Wotton’s men regained their two-goal lead though.
After the Jordans of Young and Dyer combined to see United’s attack down the right wing diverted inside, the ball fell kindly to Dennis on the edge of the box, who duly sent a precise volley into the net from 20 yards out to make it 3-1.
That final flourish put the result beyond doubt and sealed the three points and a superb Boxing Day for The Gulls.
Season’s Greetings, Yellow Army!
UNITED: 1. James Hamon, 3. Jay Foulston, 4. Jordan Dyer, 5. Sam Dreyer (c), 7. Louis Dennis, 8. Jordan Young, 10. Callum Dolan (11. Dylan Morgan, 57′) 20. Dan Hayfield, 24. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, 26. Jordan Thomas, 27. Matt Jay (9. Cody Cooke, 62′).
SUBS NOT USED: 16. Ed Palmer, 17. Sonny Fish, 21. Adam Seedhouse-Evans (GK), 22.Sonny Sharples-Ahmed, 23. Kieran Wilson.
Yellow Card: Hamon 26′, Young 82′
WESTON-SUPER-MARE: 1. Max Harris, 2. Michael Smith, 6. Sam Avery, 7. Luke Coulson, 8. Harry Kite (10. George Birch, 64′), 9. Louis Britton, 14. Jason Pope (5. Callum Wood, 90′), 15. Emlyn Lewis (c), 16. Adam May (18. Jake Hicks, 90′), 19. Charlie Cummins, 23. Will Dawes (11. Scott Wilson, 64′).
SUBS NOT USED: 4. Jacob Jagger Cane, 13. Jakob Glover (GK).
Yellow Card: Lewis 12′, Britton 26′, Dawes 45′
Attendance: 5,142 (234 away)
