Leo Bertos took to the dugout for his first official game as coach of the Bears against the side he lined up on the park for just a couple of years back Newcastle Olympic and got a first-up taste of the highs and lows of football..

The opening stanza saw neither side applying a great deal of offensive pressure during an early feeling out process.

The first moment of danger came in the 23rd minute as the visitors were awarded a contentious penalty, though Bears custodian Scott Carter displayed catlike agility to make an authoritative stop, diving low to his left to deny Anthony Marenghi and keep the scores locked.

The home side appealed vociferously for a 34th minute penalty following what appeared to be a handball inside the box, but the man in the middle was having none of it.

Moments later Carter was called upon to make a sharp one handed save after the greasy surface - which saw players on the deck with regularity - led to a slip in midfield and consequent turnover of possession, with the Olympic attacker rifling an opportunistic strike from outside the box.

The relatively tepid pace early on spoke not only to the organisation of both defences, but also perhaps a slight lack in attacking sharpness as a result of a long and bizarre pre-season in the wake of the pandemic.

The second period however saw the contest begin to open up a little more after quality chances had been few and far between.

The Bears went within a whisker in the 49th minute after a glorious counterattack saw the shot blocked on the line by a well-positioned Olympic defender.

It didn't take much longer for the breakthrough to come, courtesy of Chris Hurley, one of the standout players on the afternoon. Hurley's enterprising run from the left culminated in a sharp finish to put Weston in front in the 57th minute.

Olympic were awarded a free kick in a dangerous position in the 60th minute but couldn't make use of it, the shot sailing well high and wide of the mark.

Five minutes later they had an appeal for handball waved away by the referee, with the pressure beginning to mount on the Bears defence.

It wasn't much longer before Olympic made their momentum tell on the scoreboard, with the Bears failing to deal with a cross from the right that bounced through to Blake Green, who punished them with a crisp finish.

With the home side now on the back foot, they looked to string together some quick passes and bring back some positivity to their football, with a 75th minute incursion into the box very nearly earning them a penalty, but it was only a matter of seconds later and the ball was back up the other end.

Carter was drawn into a smart low save but could only parry to his right where the visitors picked it up once again and fired in a low cross for Green to grab his second - with a bit of help from the outstretched leg of a desperate Bears defender.

The crucial double blow looked to have sapped Weston of their energy, with a few players looking virtually out on their feet and suffering from cramp.

They hauled themselves back off the canvas to press forward again late on in search of an equaliser, and after winning a free kick out wide, they came frustratingly close to drawing level.

A tantalising cross from skipper Nathan Morris found the head of Cooper Buswell who glanced the ball just wide of the left post.

A 91st minute Hurley corner came to naught and Olympic countered straight away, Marenghi's attempt dealt with comfortably by Carter.

The final kick of the match came in the form of an Olympic free kick which was skied halfway to Stanford Merthyr and the referee promptly drew the curtain on proceedings.

The Bears will be looking to bounce back quickly with a trip to Lambton next Saturday to take on the Jaffas, who ran out 1-0 winners in the opening round courtesy of a late goal against Lake Macquarie.