After two washed out fixtures, the pent up energy from the disappointing COVID-enforced early finish to last season was unleashed and the Bears under coach Leo Bertos got off to a huge start against the promoted Cooks Hill.

The opening goal came after just five minutes as a well executed Chris Hurley corner was glanced home off the head of Zac Sneddon.

The Bears' class tell once more in the 27^th minute, as a free kick awarded in a dangerous position was dispatched expertly by veteran skipper Nathan Morris to double his side's advantage.

The Bears had what looked to be a reasonable penalty shout waved away in the 34th minute as they continued to search for goals. The first opportunity of note for the home side came in the 38th minute, as a whipped corner to the near post was headed just over the bar.

Three minutes later, a silky piece of skill saw Cooks Hill glide through the Bears line, but the final product lacked the direction needed to trouble Weston custodian Stuart Plant.

The Bears appeared to have gained a crucial advantage in the 45th minute with new signing Moustafa Mohammad having held off the attentions of his marker to play in Tommy Duggan with a dangerous through ball, only for the referee to blow his whistle and scupper a potential one on one opportunity in lieu of playing the advantage.

Just 20 seconds after the restart, a sumptuous lofted through ball from Cooper Buswell slipped through the Cooks Hill defensive line to find Tommy Duggan on the bounce, who made no mistake one on one and converted for a 3-0 scoreline.

Duggan looked to have skipped away again in the 48th minute for another potential one on one opportunity, but was brought down heavily by a screening move from the United defence. Tactically, it was a wise move from the home side - the free kick around halfway would pose a much lesser threat than the burgeoning attack - but the lack of a caution seemed a curious decision.

The Bears looked to shut up shop somewhat after this, with the following 25 minutes of play marked largely by cagey midfield battles and neither side regularly finding space or threatening the opposition goal.

A well executed cross from a 76th minute free kick saw Cooks Hill come close to a consolation goal, as Plant was forced into a smart stop from a close range header before the hosts fluffed their lines from the rebound.

A great run from Aaron Niyonkuru in the 78th minute drew a quality low stop from the foot of the Cooks Hill keeper, but the rebound fell kindly to Hurley for him to convert comfortably for the Bears' fourth.

The hosts came ever so close to what would have been an extraordinary consolation goal in the 90th minute, as an ambitious attempt from halfway with Plant off his line saw the Bears keeper scurry back just in time to tip the ball away for a corner at full stretch.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Niyonkuru found himself in space, with the physically weary and mentally sapped United defence finding it a bridge too far to close him down, and unleashed a great strike from the edge of the box to put the cherry on top of an excellent afternoon for the Bears

A rampant attack, a clean sheet, no yellow cards and no injuries will be endlessly pleasing for gaffer Bertos as his side got off to what was virtually the perfect start to their 2022 campaign.

Weston are at home on Saturday night against Edgeworth.