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Walker’s spot on as Terras hit back
WEYMOUTH fought back from two goals down to earn a share of the spoils at Chippenham Town.
Two early strikes from Luke Ballinger and ex-Terra Lee Phillips put the home side firmly in control at Hardenhuish Park.
But a bizarre goal from Dan Smith and a second-half spot-kick from skipper Scott Walker ensured it finished honours even in Wiltshire.
Manager Brendon King, whose side remain unbeaten in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division following back-to-back draws, said: “It was a proper game of football played at a hundred miles an hour.
“They were physical, as we expected, but we matched them in the end.
“To go 2-0 down like we did was disappointing from our perspective as they were two sloppy goals to give away.
“But we got into the game about 25 minutes in and had a goal disallowed, rather dubiously apparently, and then Dan showed good awareness to make it 2-1 at half-time.
“We got on top in the second half, we got ourselves a penalty through Dan and Scott stepped up to score.
“The game then got stretched as it was played at such a quick pace and it was end-to-end stuff. Overall a point was probably fair and it’s a point I’m really happy with as it’s a difficult place to go.”
King made just a single change to his starting XI with Ben Joyce replacing Mark Ford in attack.
Having kept out Kettering for 90 minutes at the weekend, the Terras’ backline was breached inside four minutes last night with Ballinger grabbing the opening goal after being set up by Phillips.
The Bluebirds were quick out of the blocks in their first home match of the season and Scott Lye spurned a glorious chance as they went in search of a second goal.
But he need not have worried as an awful slice from visiting keeper Simon Evans fell at the feet of Phillips and he made no mistake against his former employers.
The shell-shocked Terras finally stemmed the flow and after gloveman Josh Dempsey was penalised for dropping the ball and then picking it up again, Stephen Reed teed up Walker from the resulting set-piece and the captain fired wide of goal.
The visitors thought they had found a route back into the game just past the half-hour mark but Kyle Critch-ell’s header was controversially ruled out for offside.
Weymouth were not to be denied, however, and Smith halved the deficit with some quick thinking.
Dempsey rolled the ball on the deck in preparation to launch it up-field, but he was unaware of Smith’s presence and the striker nipped in to fire home.
Now boasting the slenderest of leads, Chippenham responded and only a fine save from Evans prevented Griffin restoring the two-goal cush-ion.
Weymouth applied plenty of pressure in the second period and after Joyce shot over the top, their persistence paid off as they were awarded a penalty.
Smith was upended in the box by James Guthrie and Walker converted from 12 yards.
The Terras were very much in the ascendancy at this stage but the hosts were by no means down and out.
Substitute Dean Griffiths missed from close range and then Griffin was denied by the crossbar as the Bluebirds turned the screw.
The last chance also fell to the former but he fired wide of the upright and the Terras were left celebrating a well-earned point.
* A minute’s silence was held for former chairman Martyn Harrison and lifelong Terras’ fan Clive Beckett before last Saturday’s game with Kettering Town.
