MICHAEL Cheek's brace helped Chelmsford City to their first home win of the season as they beat Weston-Super-Mare 3-2
Cheek struck in the first minute before Nicky Nicolau got his first ever goal for the club.
The striker then made it 3-0 before the visitors came back strongly to almost grab a point.
Firstly, skipper Tom Jordan scored with a header and then Corey Williams also struck to give the Melbourne Stadium crowd a nervous last 15 minutes.
But the Clarets, managed to hold on to earn all three Conference South points and move up the table to 17th.
Mark Hawkes made three changes from the team that lost 4-0 to Boreham Wood last week, as Cheek returned to the starting line-up in place of Luke Callander. Evans Kouassi made his debut start for the club, as Christian Smith dropped to the bench, and Nik Freund stepped in for injured goalkeeper Nicky Eyre.
The Clarets got off to the perfect start when Cheek opened the scoring in the first minute. Lee Sawyer clipped the ball over the top, which the striker latched onto, he fired in a shot which was saved by the legs of keeper Luke Purnell. But Cheek got to the rebound first to poke the ball home and send the 664 Melbourne Stadium crowd wild.
Cheek and Kouassi seemed to have already developed a decent understanding, as the goalscorer out-ran the two centre-backs once again to get to the by-line. He cut the ball back to his striking partner, but Kouassi's shot was well saved by Purnell.
Freund then made a fantastic save to keep the Clarets ahead. Joe McClennan fired the ball into the middle and Yado Mambo accidentally smashed it towards his own goal. But the young keeper did brilliantly to parry the ball away from close range and keep the lead.
And that save would be vital as Nicolau then extended the advantage twenty minutes in. Kouassi was running the Seagulls' defence ragged and he shook off a defender to feed Cheek. The striker then laid the ball back to the Cypriot winger who calmly took a touch and then fired it into the bottom corner to score his first ever goal for the club.
The visitors enjoyed a lot more of the possession in the final 15 minutes of the first half, but the Claret's contained them well with the Seagulls unable to break them down.
Chelmsford almost started the second half the same way they did the first when Joe Ward came close. Cheek dispossessed Clayton Fortune down the right and fed the winger, but he dragged his left-footed shot wide.
Ward then missed a golden chance to make it three when he latched onto a Cheek header in the 50th minute. He jinked into the box but fired his shot just over the bar from eight yards out.
But the third goal did come in the 53rd minute thanks to a lovely ball from Ward. Mambo headed the ball to the right-winger, who beat the left-back Aaron Brown. Ward delivered a perfect low cross along the six-yard box to find Cheek at the back-post who bundled the ball home.
Weston-Super-Mare started taking more of the possession and managed to grabb their first goal with just over 20 minutes to go. Skipper Jordan rose highest at a corner and bullet his header past Freund.
And in the 77th minute substitute Williams pulled another one back for the Seagulls. Jake Harris got to the by-line and pulled the ball back for Williams, who calmly swept it home into the bottom corner.
But the Clarets would do just enough to hold out and take the victory, with the visitors unable to grab the equaliser.
Chelmsford City: Freund, Love, Redwood, Hughes, Haines, Mambo, Sawyer, Ward (Gordon 74'), Kouassi (Smith 84'), Cheek, Nicolau.
Subs not used: Morgan, Callander, Ekpiteta.
Booking: Redwood (90')
Goals: Cheek (1', 53'), Nicolau (19')
Weston-Super-Mare: Purnell, Mitchell, Brown (O'Sullivan 59'), Mawford, Jordan, Fortune, McClennan (Harris 71'), Cane, Lucas, Grubb, Fiddes (Williams 59').
Subs not used: Teale, Ash.
Booking: Jordan (84')
Goals: Jordan (69'), Williams (77')
Referee: Michael George
Attendance: 664
