Weymouth picked up their first league win in five last Saturday with a crucial 2-0 victory over fellow promotion contenders Redditch United at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Having picked up a confidence boosting win over Dorchester in the County Cup on Tuesday, the Terras went into the clash in confident mood having put in an excellent performance at Biggleswade a week earlier that really warranted more than a draw.
Early on Stewart Yetton forced visiting keeper Jose Veiga into a sharp save low to his left, whilst Ben Thomson had a dangerous strike charged down by a Redditch defender, as the Terras looked to stamp their authority on proceedings.
The visitors then threatened on the break when Danico Jackson used his electric pace to get past Calvin Brooks and tee-up Ashley Sammons, but he failed to hit the target with his effort.
The rest of the first half became quite a scrappy affair with the referee struggling to keep a lid on things. Tempers began to boil over when a crunching challenge in front of the dugouts resulted in a bit of handbags between the two teams, and ended up with both sides having a player booked.
Weymouth were frustrated at the interval, but they regrouped and came flying out of the traps in the second half.
A Jordan Copp delivery was only half cleared as far as George Rigg who blazed his effort over the bar, but two minutes later – the Terras drew first blood.
Play was halted for a handball on the edge of the Redditch box, and Weymouth wasted no time in taking advantage. They took a quick free-kick around the wall, and it was left to Stewart Yetton to slot home to give Weymouth the lead, much to the frustration of the visitors.
However United almost came up with an instant response, and Weymouth were indebted to Jason Matthews for producing a stunning point blank save to deny Hallahan.
George Carline then headed over from a corner, before Redditch then attempted a quick free-kick themselves following a foul by Jordan Copp, but once again Ashley Sammons failed to find the target.
Copp was then replaced by Jake Wannell, and it was the substitute who sealed the points in injury time.
Ben Thomson showed superb strength to outmuscle his man on the halfway line and set off on a blistering run into the box, before laying it off for Wannell whose shot deflected in off the post to seal a crucial three points for the Terras.
It wasn’t necessarily easy on the eye but it was all about the result, and the win leaves the Terras seven points adrift of the top five with a game in hand.
They go back above their Ridgeway rivals Dorchester, after the Magpies play-off dreams suffered a severe setback following back-to-back defeats.
On Saturday they lost a five goal thriller 3-2 at Hitchin Town. Toby Holmes had given the Magpies a 25th minute lead, but the lead lasted less than a minute as the Canaries hit back straight away through Brett Donnelly. Alasan Ann then gave the hosts the lead on the hour mark, only for Ben Watson to level things up ten minutes later. However the game was decided just eleven minutes from the end when Jonny McNamara struck the winner for the hosts.
It was a frustrating defeat for the Magpies, but Tuesday night’s shock defeat at home to bottom side Bideford will have been even more disappointing.
Nathan Walker gave the Magpies a tenth minute lead, but Chris McGrath equalised after half an hour, before ex Terra Stephen Reed struck a free-kick home on the hour mark, and the Robins held on to pick up only their fourth win of the season, and their first in sixteen games.
Those two setbacks leave the Magpies eleventh in the table, nine points adrift of the top five.
There were no such problems for Poole last Saturday, as they cruised to a 3-0 win at home to struggling Histon.
The Dolphins had gone down 3-0 at Cirencester the previous week before a hard fought draw at Redditch last Monday. Any early nerves were settled against Histon when Luke Burbridge gave them the lead in just the second minute, before Tony Lee doubled the lead on eighteen minutes. Burbridge added his second on the hour mark to give the Dolphins a comfortable win that took them four points clear at the top of the table, after Chippenham’s game at Cambridge was postponed.
The Dolphins will look to consolidate their lead on Saturday when they travel to sixth placed Leamington. The Brakes were the early season pacesetters, but fell away over the festive period. However they appear to be finding their form again – unbeaten in six games and back to within two points of the top five.
Elsehwere, Weymouth host 17th placed Stratford who are winless in their last eight outings, whilst Dorchester face the long trip to seventh placed Kings Lynn Town for a game they really need to win to keep their play-off dreams alive.
James Spring
