CHELMSFORD City's play-off hopes took a dent as they lost 3-1 at Weston-super-Mare on Saturday.
The Clarets headed to Somerset hoping to take advantage of teams around them not playing and reclaim a place in the Conference South play-off places.
But two goals from Bradley Ash and one from Dayle Grubb secured the win for the home side, as Lee Sawyer netted a penalty in time added on for City.
The hosts went into the just three point above the relegation zone, but had won three out of four games over the festive period.
The Clarets, unsurprisingly, were unchanged from the team that beat Farnborough 6-2 in their previous match, with manager Mark Hawkers sticking with a back three of Michael Toner, Marvin Ekpiteta and Harry Hickford.
The game began quietly, but City keeper Bradley Watkins was the first of the two custodians called into action, turning wide Grubb's low shot, after he had been found by Jamie Edge's pull back.
However, the Clarets fell behind on 19 minutes when Oliver Watkins' shot from the edge of the box looped up off a defender. Ash got his head to the ball first, beating Toner, and flicking an effort over the stranded Bradley Watkins.
With the swirling wind and bobbly pitch causing problems for both sets of players, the conditions presented the hosts with two chances to extend their lead.
The first Bradley Watkins' clearance from a Hickford back-pass went straight to Grubb, but his effort from distance didn't have the required power to beat the scampering keeper who just retreated in time to push the ball wide.
Then in time added on at the end of the first half, a wind-assisted goal kick from Luke Purnell looped over the Clarets back line for Oliver Watkins to latch onto, but his namesake in the City net stopped him from going any further, diving at the Weston player's feet to make a fine save.
With the wind in their favour in the second half City went in search of an early equaliser having failed to test the home keeper in the first period.
Their best chance came when Rob Girdlestone's strike from distance was blocked, but fell straight into the path of Michael Cheek who, one-on-one with Purnell, stabbed the ball wide. It was a chance you usually expect him to gobble up.
The Clarets were given a let off when Oliver Watkins blazed over after Grubb had charged at the visiting defence, before slipping the ball into the left channel for the winger just inside the box.
Purnell spilled a free-kick from deep, which the home side could only half clear and the ball made it's way to Sawyer 19 yards out, but with the keeper out of position, the City man failed to hit the target.
With ten minutes to go City's fate was sealed after Grubb carried the ball to the edge of the area and powered a shot past Bradley Watkins into the bottom corner.
The home side made the result certain in stoppage time as substitute Joe McClennan tricked his way past Girdlestone, cutting one way and then another, he got to the byline in the box before firing across goal for Ash to tap in from two yards out.
City at least made sure they got on the scoresheet for the first time in three visits to Weston, when Mark Hughes was brought down in the penalty area and Swayer stepped up to send Purnell then wrong way.
