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Yetton to the rescue as Weymouth seal a point
STEWART Yetton fired his second goal in two games for the Terras to secure a point at Frome Town.
The Weymouth captain found the net with 20 minutes to go to rock the Robins and give the visitors a draw, meaning they are only two points behind Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division leaders Poole.
The trip to Frome meant a return to Weymouth full-back Mark Cooper’s old stomping ground from last season.
He was part of a Terras’ XI that had made three changes from their home win over King’s Lynn Town on Saturday.
Chris Shephard was ruled out hours before the encounter with illness, meaning Adam Kelly featured from the start and new man Cameron Brown came into the squad as a substitute.
Midfielder Billy Lowes, who suffered slight concussion at the weekend, had to settle for a place on the bench as player-coach Chris McPhee was re-instated into the Weymouth starting XI.
Former Robin Ben Thomson was also ruled out of the squad due to an agreement made between the two clubs when he switched between them earlier in the campaign.
That meant assistant-manager Tim Sills was handed a rare start up front alongside captain Yetton.
Number-two keeper Steve Boore also took a place among the Terras’ substitutes just 24 hours after he featured for Wessex League outfit Hamworthy United against Lymington Town at the County Ground on Tuesday night.
The Robins meanwhile gave a starting berth to striker Tyler Sibbick for the clash at the Blindmans Brewery Stadium.
A target of Terras’ player-manager Matthews in the summer, he bagged the winner after coming off the bench against Stratford for Frome last time out.
Frome also welcomed James Fitzgibbon into their ranks, who joined from Hartpury College while Marcus Mapstone took a place in the home side’s defence after he switched from Mangotsfield United.
Frome squandered an early opportunity to take the lead as the game got underway but, following that chance, Weymouth found their feet.
They tested Robins’ keeper Dan Lloyd-Western on a couple of occasions, the best of the away side’s chances coming through Kelly, as he was put through and looked to make an impact.
But the hosts, who gradually settled into the contest, then drew first blood and it was that man Sibbick who came back to haunt Weymouth chief Matthews.
He showed good composure to put the ball past the man who tried to make him a Terras’ player, after latching onto a neat lofted ball from Jon Davies.
McPhee then put a header over as the Terras went in at the interval a goal down.
Weymouth pushed for a leveller in the early exchanges of the second period but shortly after the hour mark, Frome came within inches of doubling their lead when they struck the crossbar.
Davies, who carved out the opportunity for the Robins’ opener, then let fly and saw his attempt clip the woodwork.
The Frome man then continued to show his threat as he forced a sharp stop from Matthews soon after. The visitors swapped Sills for Lowes.
But with 20 minutes to go and after Dean Evans went close, Weymouth got their equaliser and it was skipper Yetton who notched his second in as many games.
He showed good awareness to pounce on a defensive mistake and apply a cool finish to make it 1-1.
Kelly was then replaced handing Brown his debut and Ashley Wells came on in place of full-back Jake Wannell, as the sides played out a hard-fought draw and claimed a point apiece.
