Weymouth put in a desperately lacklustre performance on Saturday and they were punished by a goal fifteen minutes from time as they fell to their first home defeat of the season.
They took on a Biggleswade side who have surprised many with their good start to the season, but it was still a match Weymouth would have expected to win.
However they never really got going all game, created next to no real chances, and realistically they could have no complaints with the result.
Tony Burnett fired a signal of intent early on – his eighth minute strike from the edge of the box comfortably held by Jason Matthews.
Clear cut chances were at a premium, and the best Weymouth could muster in the first half were a couple of wayward efforts from range from Mark Cooper and Billy Lowes. The Waders keeper largely unemployed for the first half, as Weymouth struggled to string two passes together – let alone create any clear goal scoring chances.
Biggleswade were looking the more likely, and Jason Matthews had to be on his toes to tip a dipping effort from Burnett over the crossbar, and ten minutes before the break the visitors were inches away from opening the scoring when Matthews failed to gather a Lewis Hilliard corner, and Ian Rees hooked the ball over a sea of bodies onto the roof of the net.
Rees then tested Matthews from range with what proved to be the final action of the first half.
The game continued in much the same vain in the second half – with Weymouth continuing to huff and puff without ever threatening to blow the door down.
Arguably their best opening came nine minutes into the second half when Chris McPhee won the ball back in midfield and slid it through to Jake Wannell. He found Ben Thomson with a lovely through ball, but just as the striker was set to pull the trigger he was denied by a perfectly timed last ditch tackle from Gavin Hoyte.
Tony Burnett continued to cause Weymouth problems, and he went close again when he stabbed over the crossbar from Hilliard’s knockdown, before Hilliard was replaced by Sam Merson, and just two minutes after coming on he popped up with the vital breakthrough.
It was a disappointing goal to concede from Weymouth’s defence’s point of view, as Pat Baldwin allowed the ball to bounce, and Burnett nipped in between two defenders to pull the ball back for Merson who fired calmly beyond Matthews into the bottom corner to bring delight to the lonely travelling fan behind the goal.
In truth it was no more than the visitors deserved, and even with fifteen minutes left that was the signal for hundreds of Terras fans to head for the exits.
Tim Sills and Jordan Copp came on in one last throw of the dice, and Copp very nearly made his mark when he tried to curl one in from the edge of the D, but it was well tipped over by Waders’ keeper Jamie Head.
Tim Sills then dragged an effort a couple of yards wide in what proved to be the final chance, and Weymouth fell to their first home defeat of the season.
A bitterly disappointing result and an even worse performance. They simply weren’t at the races at all. In truth they could’ve played till midnight and they probably wouldn’t have scored.
The result sees them drop to fourth in the table, five points off the leaders Leamington, and four off second placed Poole Town, who swept aside Cirencester Town with a dominant second half display to record a 3-0 victory at Tatnam.
It was a first half of few chances, with all the action coming in the second half.
Jamie White signalled the home sides intent – muscling his way past two defenders before firing against the crossbar, before the Dolphins made the breakthrough on the hour mark.
Luke Burbridge sent a deep cross in towards the back post, and Steve Devlin ghosted in unmarked to tap in from close range to give the hosts the lead.
Cirencester fashioned a couple of half chances, but on 77 minutes the Dolphins made the points safe when Devlin fired a central free kick home, before Moore’s cross from the by-line was stabbed home by Toby Holmes five minutes from time to seal an impressive victory for Poole against a Cirencester side who had been in good form.
Poole will be hoping to kick on and make it two victories at the Avenue in a week on Tuesday night, when they travel to Dorchester in the league.
The Magpies were beaten 1-0 by much fancied St Neots Town on Saturday, although in truth the hosts could probably count themselves fortunate. Dorchester put their hosts under plenty of sustained pressure, but they just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net, and in the end Tom Meechan’s goal twenty minutes from time broke their hearts, and sent them to a third straight defeat in all competitions.
They’ve dropped to seventh and need to bounce back on Tuesday night to keep themselves within touching distance of the top five. The two sides met at Tatnam last month and played out a rather dull goalless draw, so here’s hoping there’s a bit more action tomorrow night.
Weymouth & Chippenham Town also met last month, and that game also ended in a draw. The two sides sit third and fourth in the table level on points, so you wouldn’t bet against a similar outcome again when they meet at Hardenhuish park tomorrow night. One things for sure though, the Terras will need to be a million times better to come away with anything, and certain star players need to step up a few gears if they are to bounce back.
James Spring
