CLEVE 24 pts WESTON 17 pts

WESTON conceded another three tries at the Hayfields on Saturday, but they scored three of their own in a much improved performance and also claimed a bonus point.

The main improvement was in the pack, which did most of the work, but it was flimsy defending in midfield which gave Cleve the advantage.

It has to be said, however, that the makeshift centre partnership of Harry Warman and Kirk Middlemiss did its best, but the understandable inexperience in those positions did not help.

Neither did the fact that David Burge and George Sparks sustained leg injuries in the second minute.

Both were forced to retire later, to add to the Seasiders' problems.

Matters were even during the first 25 minutes apart from breaks by Cleve's former Weston players, Takura Madamombe and Ross Bennett, but when Dan Ajuwa fielded Chris Young's long 22-metre drop out, the wing was allowed to run unopposed to the posts for a try which Joe Hall converted.

Hall then added a penalty for a 10-0 lead, but Weston responded just before the break.

A driving maul following Sparks' line-out catch produced a try for Simon Williams, his first for the club, and the Seasiders drew level in similar fashion in the first moments of the second half.

This time it was skipper Ashley Russell's line-out catch which was driven for fully 35 metres for Burge to be awarded the try.

Unfortunately, both scores and an earlier penalty chance went unconverted and the hosts' brace of tries before the half was 10 minutes old more or less sealed Weston's fate.

Dan Brown and Nathan Huntley were the scorers, Huntley converting both.

Cleve were now in the ascendancy at 24-10, but Russell's forwards took up the challenge.

Andrew Glen, Andrew Richards and David Price made telling contributions and reward eventually arrived in the fourth minute of time added.

James Arnold, making his first start, weaved his way through heavy traffic to the line, presenting the ball perfectly for Richard to touch down wide out.

Warman stepped up for the tricky conversion, which sailed between the posts for the precious bonus point.

Weston: N Trevenna; J Arnold, K Middlemiss, H Warman, P Sprague; C Young, J Mortimore (sin bin 15); D Price, D Burge (J Gallagher 60), S Williams, A Richards, A Russell (capt0, G Sparks (E Smith 41), G Simpson (G Wright 57), A Glen.