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Redditch rocked as Weymouth get back to winning ways in the league
THE feel-good factor was well and truly back at the Bob Lucas Stadium as the Terras sealed a crucial victory over Redditch United to boost their hopes of making the play-offs.
Starting the day seven points off the pace of the play-off spots, Terras’ chief Jason Matthews knew a win would be vital in his team’s overall aim to reach the top five.
And they got the result they wanted thanks to second-half goals from Stewart Yetton and substitute Jake Wannell.
Visitors Redditch went into the contest in fine form having won four out of their last five games.
The Reds, playing in their blue away strip against the Terras, sealed a goalless draw with Poole Town last time out and recorded a big win against Hitchin Town a week previously.
Redditch also knew that if results went their way prior to kick-off they could have reached the top of the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division.
In what was a fairly frenetic opening 10 minutes, both sides worked their opposite keepers.
After a foul on the edge of the Weymouth box, Redditch’s Ashley Sammons tasked Matthews with a comfortable save.
Minutes later, some neat skill allowed Terras’ midfielder Mark Molesley to find Yetton, who struck a dangerous effort which worked Redditch gloveman Jose Veiga with a sharp stop to his left.
On 15 minutes, Jordan Copp caused some problems for the Terras and delivered an accurate ball in for striker Ben Thomson.
But Thomson, who netted a brace against Dorchester in midweek, saw his strike charged down.
Redditch frontman Danico Johnson then proved a handful on the left flank to out manoeuvre Calvin Brooks and set his side off on the counter. He found Sammons, who failed to hit the target.
A searching ball from Terras’ midfielder Dean Evans sent Thomson to stride into the channel and after keeper Veiga had left his area to shield the ball, he went to ground under a challenge from the Terras’ frontman.
That earned Thomson a talking to by the match official Ron Ganfield and from then until the end of the half, it turned into the Ganfield show.
After a crunching challenge near the Weymouth box, tempers then flared and between both sides with Terras’ full-back Mark Cooper involved in the aftermath. Ganfield eventually showed yellow cards to Pat Baldwin and Redditch’s Jack Hallahan. Cooper was left without caution.
Former Exeter City defender Baldwin was frustrated by the match official and was still voicing his opinion as the sides went in at the interval.
But, after regrouping, the Terras kept their heads.
Following the break, a ball in from Copp was headed away by the away defence into the path of George Rigg, who blazed over.
Rigg then went close again from a quickly taken free-kick on 50 minutes.
Molesley found Copp, he cut the ball back for the former Bristol City man, whose effort was deflected off a Redditch defender for a corner.
The Terras then took the lead on 57 minutes with another quick bit of thinking.
After a hand ball on the edge of the Reds’ box, Weymouth took a quick free-kick around the wall and Yetton made no mistake in slotting home confidently. Ganfield had no hesitation in allowing the goal to stand.
Matthews then produced a stunning reaction stop to keep his troops ahead two minutes later, denying Hallahan from almost point-blank range.
Brooks then showed his authority as he cleared a dangerous cutback from Redditch full-back Eli Bako – George Carline headed over from the resulting corner.
Cranking up the pressure in search of a leveller, ironically the visitors then attempted a quick free-kick themselves after a foul by Copp in a dangerous area, but skipper Sammons put the ball well wide. Copp was then replaced by Wannell.
And it was Wannell who wrapped up three points for the Terras in the second minute of stoppage time.
After Thomson out muscled his man on the halfway line he burst into the box and unselfishly teed up Wannell. His shot came off a post and into the net to wrap up three vital points for the home side.
