Weymouth marked their 125th anniversary in style with another home win on Saturday that put them on top of the southern premier league.
They named the same side that had impressively dismantled fellow promotion chasers Cirencester the previous Tuesday, but Bedworth made a bright start with Alex Naughton’s low drive flying wide in the third minute.
Gradually Weymouth got into their stride, and they carved out their first chance shortly after when Stewart Yetton managed to wriggle his way away from his man and force a good save low down to his left from visiting goalkeeper Denham Hinds.
Yetton made the goalkeeper work again shortly after when he volleyed Adam Kelly’s flick on straight at Hinds, before spurning a glorious chance when Ben Thomson hooked the ball into Yetton’s path, only for the striker to fire over the bar. The signs were there yet again that it was going to be another one of those days for the striker.
Ben Thomson was then a lick of paint away from giving the Terras the lead with the final kick of the first half, when he tried to curl one in from the edge of the box and hit the post.
Weymouth continued to apply the pressure at the start of the second half, with Dean Evans and Billy Lowes going close in the first few minutes of the second half, before Stewart Yetton missed another glorious chance when he could only head Adam Kelly’s cross straight at a very relieved goalkeeper.
Hinds in the Greenbacks goal was being kept busy. He produced a stunning save to keep out Adam Kelly’s looping header just as everyone was about to celebrate.
It was all one way traffic, and twenty minutes from time Yetton again found himself in a great position but blazed his effort high and wide.
It was starting to look as though the visitors might just hold out for a draw, but eventually, eleven minutes from time – the breakthrough finally arrived.
Neat work down the wing from substitute Chris Shephard lead to a cross finding Yetton who nodded the ball down for Ben Thomson to hook a volley into the roof of the net to put the Terras in front, and ease the growing tension around the Bob Lucas Stadium.
It could have been 2-0 shortly afterwards when Chris Shephard again found Yetton, but once again he failed to hit the target and put the game to bed.
That miss very nearly proved costly five minutes from time as Bedworth launched one last attack, and Harry Walker-Donovon saw his shot stabbed off the line by a covering defender, as Weymouth held out to secure their third win in seven days, and move to the summit of the southern league table, albeit having played a game more than everyone else.
Not for the first time this season they made it nervy for themselves by not taking their numerous chances, but as before one goal proved to be enough again thanks to their ever solid backline, which now holds the best defensive record in the country with just six goals conceded so far.
There certainly wasn’t a shortage of goals at Chesham, where United and Dorchester played out a seven goal thriller.
The game started at a lightning pace – with Chris Dillon and Oakley Hanger going close for the Magpies, whilst George Fenton and Bruce Wilson having early efforts for the hosts.
On fourteen minutes it was Dorchester who went 1-0 up when Lewis Morgan turned home a cross from close range. But they were pegged back straight from the restart, as United surged forwards and Ryan Blake played in Bossman who fired past Shane Murphy to make it 1-1 after just fifteen minutes.
Jonah Ayunga and Charlie Davis went close for the Magpies as they piled on the pressure, and on 35 minutes they got their rewards when Ben Watson broke clear of the Chesham defence and his centre was fired home by Bradley Tarbuck to give the visitors a deserved lead.
Dorchester were looking the much better side, and just five minutes later Tarbuck notched his second of the afternoon when he struck a stunning volley from the edge of the box to give the Magpies a two goal cushion going into the break.
Dorchester continued to press in the second half. A two-on-two break ended with Lewis Morgan’s shot being blocked, before Neil Martin saw a header drift narrowly wide.
Then on 66 minutes, out of nothing the hosts halved the deficit when Matt Taylor headed home Casey’s cross.
Dorchester had appeals for a penalty turned down as they looked to add a fourth, but ten minutes from time they were pegged back to square one – George Fenton firing the Generals level.
The momentum was now with Chesham, and they nearly made it 4-3 but Shane Murphy produced an excellent save to deny Wilson, before Fenton headed wide from the resulting corner.
And that miss proved costly two minutes from time, as the county town side snatched all three points in dramatic style, when Jonah Ayunga finished off a classic counter-attack to make it 4-3 to the visitors, and spark wild celebrations among the travelling supporters.
A dramatic and important three points for the Magpies which takes them fifth in the table – level on 22 points with Cirencester and Chippenham, and two points behind Poole Town who managed to hold out for a 2-1 win at home to Redditch United.
Redditch had applied all the early pressure, but completely against the run of play Poole took the lead after 36 minutes.
A Redditch attack was broken up and Luke Roberts played in Marvin Brooks who rounded the keeper and was brought down, leaving the referee with no real choice but to award a penalty.
Steve Devlin’s initial spot-kick was palmed onto the post by the keeper, but luckily it bounced straight into Devlin’s path, and he made no mistake with the follow up to give Poole a rather fortunate lead.
If Redditch felt hard done by, they were left cursing their luck a minute before the break as the Dolphins doubled their lead.
Luke Roberts did well to hold up play before finding Burbridge, who played it in to Brooks, and he flicked it on to Coby Moore who smashed the ball into the roof of the net to put the Dolphins in command.
But United hit back just two minutes into the second half through George Carline, and they then proceeded to lay siege to the Poole goal for the remainder of the second half, but they just couldn’t force an equaliser, and the Dolphins managed to hold out for a rather fortunate three points which took them to third in the table – just a point off the leaders Weymouth.
They’ll have the opportunity to go top of the table on Tuesday night when they welcome winless bottom club Paulton Rovers to Tatnam. Rovers have only managed 5 points and 5 goals so far this season, so the Dolphins will be heavy favourites to pick up three points.
Dorchester Town are also in action on Tuesday night, and they will also be favourites as they make the trip to 20th placed Slough Town, looking to move level on points with their Rdgeway rivals Weymouth, who have a midweek break before they themselves travel to the Midlands to play Redditch on Saturday.
James Spring
