Despite a fine strike from Michael Gash, his first in the league since the 17th of August, City failed to get the three points that would have guaranteed a play-off place, succumbing to two first half strikes by Weston’s top scorer Marc McGregor.

With City’s injury troubles showing little sign of easing, manager Gary Roberts was once again forced to shuffle his defence due to Matt Langston having to sit the game out with a niggling hamstring strain. This saw full-back Lee Summerscales move across to central defence with debut making Darren Spinks coming in to replace him in the left back birth. Carl Williams, who was available again after finishing his three match suspension, only made it as far as the bench.

Matt Robinson gets up well to flick the ball beyond an opponent

City were lucky not to make the worst of starts when they were very fortunate not to concede a penalty in the third minute. Lee Jarman’s free-kick after a foul by Glen Fuff on Lewis Hogg, clearly struck Gary Fiskin on the arm as he jumped in an attempt to block, but the referee somehow missed the incident.

With a strong wind gusting it’s way across the ground and a poor surface to contend with, this was never going to be a pretty game and both sides struggled to get any real cohesion in the early part of the half. Jarman should have done far better when he was set up with a clear shooting chance by McGregor but he missed the target by some distance. City’s Dave Sadler produced an equally wayward finish some minutes later when Spinks ball down the line sent Dale Binns sprinting clear before pulling the ball back to Sadler who had taken up an intelligent station on the edge of the area. Unfortunately the ball took a nasty bobble as the shot was struck and ended up troubling the fans at the back of the stand rather than Ryan Northmore in the home goal.

Weston very nearly took advantage of a Fuff slip-up when the defender stepped on the ball. Andrew Richardson was quick to find Mark McKeevor out on the flank and his cross picked out McGregor who headed wide.

There was a nasty moment for Northmore in the home goal when Binns poked the ball through the defence for Matt Robinson. The striker’s initial effort was blocked, Gary Wotton attempted to shield the ball back to his keeper but Robinson was not giving up and got his foot to the ball, almost getting it away from the keeper who was relieved to grab it at the second attempt.

In such difficult conditions, half chances were the order of the day and Hogg tried his luck from distance in the 25th minute but his 30 yarder was always swinging away from goal. A nice knockdown by Sadler to Robinson saw the winger dink the ball over the home defence to Binns who’s cross forced Billy Clark into a spectacular clearance to prevent Robinson from applying the finishing touch.

Lee Summerscales puts in a aerial challenge on Marc McGregor

It was hard to see where a goal might come from until the deadlock was finally broken when Weston were awarded a penalty. Fiskin was again the culprit as Jarman’s free-kick struck him on the arm after Mckeevor’s step-over had caused the City wall to jump prematurely. This time there was no escape with the referee this time spotting the infingment. Duncan Roberts got his hand to Mcgregor’s weakly struck spot kick but could not stop it from finding the back of the net.

Four minutes later City found themselves with a mountain to climb when Weston extended their lead and it was a very poor goal from a City perspective. McKeevor produced a clever nutmeg to get past Craig Pope and delivered a decent enough cross but it should have been cut out before it struck a surprised McGregor on the knee and rolled into the far corner of the net.

A minute before the break Fiskin came close to atoning for his earlier indiscretion when Northmore came rushing from his goal to head clear. The stopper got it all wrong, misreading the bounce and presented the ball to the on loan Swansea midfielder who lifted it over his head but also wide of the goal.

Weston should have put the game beyond City soon after the break and but for Roberts they would have. Not for the first time, McKeevor got past Pope and centred for McGregor to rifle a shot at goal from 12 yards only to see Roberts deny him his hat-trick with an instinctive save. Not long after, Weston almost paid a hefty price for that miss when Jarman came within an ace of handing City a lifeline when he headed Binns’ cross past his own keeper, however, he was relieved to see the ball strike the bar and go behind.

With no change in City’s fortunes apparent with just over an hour of the game gone, Gary Roberts began to ring the changes making a double substitution, bringing on Williams for Richard Scott and Gash for an out of sorts Sadler

McGregor, who had been a constant thorn in City’s side again went close again to securing his hat-trick when he somehow managed to get away from the attentions of Rob Miller and Spinks who appeared to have him trapped with nowhere to go. A quick turn and he was away, homing in on goal, however, his attempted curler lacked power and direction, allowing Roberts to save quite comfortably.

Matt Robinson loses Matt Rose on the edge of the area

With time beginning to tick by and City showing no real signs of reducing the deficit, Roberts made his third and final change, pulling off Spinks, introducing Barry Smith and switching to a much more attacking 3-4-3 fomation. The switch worked and City began to pose far more of a threat. Almost immediately City’s passing game made an appearance with a move that cut Weston open and really deserved a goal. Summerscales found Robinson down the line, he in turn played a give and go with Fiskin before finding Gash with a precision pass, the youngster laid of to Miller who’s fierce shot forced a fine save from Northmore.

More slick passing saw a chance fashioned for Gash who shot wide but minutes later he found his way onto the scoresheet. Smith’s raking pass out to the right found Williams, he made progress upfield before floating an inviting cross into the area that was met by Gash who powered an unstoppable header past Northmore.

City were looking resurgent and from a cleared Weston corner produced a flowing move from one end to the other that saw Miller set up Smith who may well have produced a telling shot on goal had Jarman not nipped in in the nick of time to take the ball off the Irishman’s toe.

In the final minute of the game the home side had Northmore to thank for preserving their lead as City pressed for a leveller. Gash’s neat lay-off allowed Binns to scamper free and produce a cross that eventually fell to Smith on the edge of the area who forced Northmore to get down and push the ball away at full stretch. A further sight of goal fell to Robinson as the game entered injury-time but he pulled his shot badly wide. It was to be City’s final chance and Weston took the ball to the corners to see out the remaining time leaving City to look to next Saturday’s encounter with Hayes for those play-off clinching points.