Derby dreamland as Terras triumph over Magpies

WEYMOUTH captain Jake McCarthy bagged a second-half brace as the Terras easily beat 10-man Dorchester 3-0 at the Avenue in the Ridgeway derby.

Mark Molesley’s side scored against the run of play when Brandon Goodship side-footed home past Chris Weale from an angle on 26 minutes.

Captain Jake McCarthy doubled the Terras’ lead two minutes after half-time when he buried a header into the net.

Dorchester’s situation turned sour when Tom Blair was sent off for a stamp on Ashley Wells on 53 minutes, before McCarthy wrapped up the points six minutes afterwards.

The Magpies ended strongly with some promising play from Luke Winsper, but they failed to create a clear-cut chance in the entirety of the match despite having large spells of possession.

The poor result increases the pressure on manager Craig Laird, who made two changes to the side that lost 4-0 at Redditch, with Luke Winsper and David Jerrard replacing Tom Bearwish and Sam Lanahan, the duo with respective ankle and thigh injuries.

Weymouth boss Molesley brought in Toby Down for Charlie Davis in his only change from the 1-1 draw with Stratford, Davis absent from the squad altogether.

Molesley’s men began brightly, with Down registering the game’s first effort sending a header just wide from a Josh Wakefield free-kick after Ross Carmichael barged over Ben Thomson.

The Terras had made by far the better start and a Wakefield ball over the top on seven minutes picked out Brandon Goodship. The striker stole in past the Dorchester centre-backs and sent a low effort at goal that Chris Weale did well to parry away for a corner, which came to nothing.

Moments later, Dorchester had their first shot on target as Jerrard hit a well-struck free-kick straight at Mark Travers.

Dorchester captain Gary Bowles was lucky not to be punished for being robbed in midfield on 15 minutes, as Wakefield fed Thomson into the area, only to see his cross evade everyone at the back post, with Kyle Egan shepherding the ball out of play.

Hosts Dorchester were slowly growing into the game at this stage and a blocked Bowles shot presented Jerrard with a chance, but he ballooned a shot wide.

After mis-controlling a high Ashley Wells clearance, Goodship retrieved possession and raided down the left only to be clattered into by Egan, who was awarded the first booking of the game by referee Kieron Salmons.

But Goodship got the game’s opening goal on 26 minutes after good work from Thomson.

Thomson dribbled with pace at the Dorchester defence and, despite the ball being intercepted, it found its way back to him before he finished crisply low past Weale from an angle.

Ollie Griggs responded for Dorchester by earning a free-kick on the left after a battle with Jordan Rose, and Wells was lucky to see his flicked header go just wide from Jerrard’s delivery.

Two minutes later, another Magpies’ free-kick was powerfully headed over by Storey as the home side pressed.

Weymouth were content to sit back and soak up the pressure with their 5-3-2 formation and safely protected their lead into the break.

And they made the perfect start as, just two minutes into the second half, they grabbed a second.

Thomson earned a corner and Wakefield’s excellent swinging cross found captain McCarthy six yards out to bury a header past Weale.

Dorchester’s start to the second half worsened six minutes later when Blair was rightly sent off for a stamp on Wells, the teenager reacting after Wells had held his leg.

On 56 minutes, Weymouth were in dreamland when the Wakefield-McCarthy axis linked up again for the Terras’ third.

Wakefield’s free-kick on the left again expertly picked out its target, with McCarthy on hand to stab a volley past Weale.

Weymouth could have had a fourth when Calvin Brooks chested into the space left by hesitant substitute Chris Clarke, but elected to square the ball when well-placed to score, and Neil Martin slid in to clear.

Dorchester finished brightly but could not carve out a good opening as Weymouth took all three points.

Magpies: Weale, Egan, Martin, Storey, Carmichael, Bowles (Clarke 54), Winsper, Griggs, Jerrard (Beasley 82), Panesar-Dower (Bastick 46), Blair. Subs not used: Corbridge, Brookes

Terras: Travers, Brooks, Buckley, Wells, Rose, Down, Carmichael, McCarthy (S.Stewart 83), Thomson (Baker 65), Goodship (Diaz 78), Wakefield. Subs not used: Tiago Sa, J.Prodomo

Referee: Kieron Salmons

Attendance: 1,505