Weymouth’s promotion aspirations have suffered a set-back following back-to-back defeats on the road.
Following Saturday’s shock defeat at second bottom Bedworth United, the Terras went into Tuesday night’s derby clash at Tatnam really needing to bounce back, and knowing that a win would take them to within four points of a Poole side who had drawn five of their previous six matches.
But with Dean Evans, Chris Shephard and George Rigg all missing it was always going to be a tall order for Weymouth. However they did spring a surprise by naming Shane Krac in the starting XI. The tough tackling midfielder began last season with the club, before moving on to Plymouth Parkway and Truro City. He’s re-joined the club on duel-registration terms and was thrown straight into the side.
It was a slow and largely uneventful opening to the match, with the action on the field not exactly thriving off the excellent atmosphere being created by a rowdy away following.
The first real talking point occurred on ten minutes – Calvin Brooks showing little compassion for his brother Marvin as he went flying in and earned himself the first yellow card of the evening.
Former Poole youngster Billy Lowes then had the games first attempt on goal, but his rather tame effort from the edge of the box was comfortably gathered by Nick Hutchings.
There was then some uncertainty over whether the game would be played to its conclusion or not, as the floodlights went out on the half hour mark – leaving everybody standing around in pitch blank for around twenty minutes.
Eventually, some forty minutes later the game restarted, and Poole began the quicker – creating the best opening so far on forty minutes when the Terras failed to properly clear their lines from a corner and Richard Gillespie stabbed an effort at goal, forcing a sharp save from Matthews. But he was only able to punch the ball back out, and the follow-up header crashed against the crossbar before eventually being cleared.
Down the other end, Krac had an effort blocked by a defender, before he was booked for a foul minutes later, and the two sides went in level at the break. Half time and it was already 9:15pm!
Weymouth began the second half the brighter of the two sides – keeping the ball well and beginning to create a few chances.
Stewart Yetton had a glorious chance when he beat the offside trap and was sent clear down the right flank, but his stinging drive was well saved by Hutchings, and the resulting corner was eventually cleared after a quick game of head tennis in the box.
But then on the hour mark Weymouth’s task got much tougher, as the returning Shane Krac went in hard on Steve Devlin, leaving the referee with no choice but to show him a second yellow.
It proved the turning point of the evening, and it took the Dolphins just three minutes to make their numerical advantage count.
Ex Terra Luke Burbridge and Luke Roberts linked up well down the right flank to tee up Marvin Brooks, and he confidently smashed the ball into the roof of the net from close range to put the Dolphins in front.
Weymouth’s game plan was now out the window, and the hosts began to take control of the game, keeping the ball well and continuing to frustrate Weymouth who kept giving away niggley fouls.
The visitors were convinced that Devlin should have been given his marching orders when he appeared to catch Ben Thomson with a high boot, but much to Weymouth’s dismay the Poole man got away with it.
Weymouth replaced Yetton and Molesley with Surridge and McPhee in an attempt to freshen things up, but just a minute later Poole sealed the points with a moment of magic from substitute Luke Roberts.
He managed to flick the ball over his man before delicately chipping the ball into the top corner of the net to double his sides lead with less than a quarter of an hour remaining.
The Terras evening was summed up late on when a rare defensive lapse from Michael Walker allowed Ben Thomson to slide it into the path of the unmarked Surridge, but the young Bournemouth loanee failed to keep his composure and blasted his effort well over the bar.
It was a real feeling of deja vu for Weymouth. Much like in last season’s game at Tatnam they had been well in the game for the first hour or so, but then they shot themselves in the foot and conceded a soft goal which meant they had to chase the game, and they were picked off on the break late on.
The three points were enough to put Poole back on top of the table – two points clear of Chippenham with a game in hand. Weymouth remain fourth but they’ve played upto four games more than the sides below them.
They need to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they welcome tenth placed Leamington to the Bob Lucas Stadium. The Brakes were the early season pacesetters but they’ve dropped like a stone in the last couple of months, and they go into the game on the back of just one win in their last seven games.
Elsewhere Poole will look to push on and cement their place at the top when they welcome Biggleswade Town to Tatnam, whilst Dorchester look to continue their play-off push when they go to Stratford Town. They’ll have to do it without Neil Martin and Jonah Ayugna though. Martin suffered a broken leg in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Chesham United, whilst young striker Ayunga has signed for championship club Brighton & Hove Albion in what is rumoured to be a record deal for the Magpies.
