- Weston-super-Mare finished 2025/26 with a strong run, securing a play-off place and making the play-off semi-finals with a penalty shootout win at Hemel Hempstead.
- Chesham are a compact, pragmatic, counter-attacking unit with Jayden Bennetts their headline danger man, having scored multiple goals against Weston last season.
- There is a clear style clash between these two teams and little to choose between them in terms of form and ability.
Mere should see off visitors
Weston-super-Mare should have enough to edge an exciting opening-day clash against Chesham United in the National League South on Saturday.
The market reflects the head-to-head between these sides pretty well with the hosts available at around 7/5 against 33/20 for the visitors and the draw at 9/4. There has been a real see-saw pattern between the clubs over the last two seasons with Mere edging a 1-0 home win over Chesham in September 2025 after Weston secured an away win against the Bucks in August 2024.
Chesham had the best of it in March 2026 when they hammered the Seasiders 4-0 at home, although Weston secured an away win against the Bucks in August 2024.
Cagey contest likely
This looks like a cagey contest that could go either way, so we are sticking with Weston's home advantage and continuity to just edge it in the match result market while taking under 2.5 goals at 7/10 and Both Teams to Score No at 17/20 as our main selections.
The game will probably be decided by a single moment or the quality of one player on the day and in Jayden Bennetts, Chesham have a potential game-changer. The player came to the fore against Weston on March 2026, when he scored four and claimed Man of the Match, and always poses a threat.
Scott Rogers has done a good job of turning Weston into a flexible, front-foot unit that presses well, transitions quickly and can overload wide areas when they have the ball. Louis Britton is their livewire up front, but Dan Martin adds bite from deep, having scored the winner from the spot at Hemel Hempstead, and is a leader at the other end.
Bennetts a threat for visiting Bucks
Chesham are led by the twin leadership of James Duncan and Michael Murray and can be a frustrating team to face as they are compact, disciplined and sharp on the counter. Alex Lafleur and Mitchell Weiss provide the spark around Bennetts and the Bucks will make a fast, incisive break when they can.
Jakob Glover is a strong presence between the posts for the home side, but the defence is a settled unit. Their recent form across all competitions is a mixed bag - a 4-0 pre-season win at Taunton, a 2-1 loss to Torquay and a play-off semi-final defeat at Hornchurch.
