Record ruined as Robins rock Terras

WEYMOUTH 0

FROME TOWN 2

Jackson 18, Jefferies 90+4

WEYMOUTH saw their run of six Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division wins ended by a determined Frome side as they were beaten 2-0 at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Jake Jackson gave the Robins a 1-0 half-time lead after stealing in front of goalkeeper Mark Travers, before both sides played their part in a grandstand second half.

The Terras pushed hard for an equaliser and saw Travers almost snatch a late goal before Frome’s Darren Jefferies broke forward and sealed the win in the 94th minute in a gripping finale.

Weymouth made one change to the side that began the 2-1 win over St Ives at the weekend, with Josh Wakefield coming in for Matt Tubbs, who dropped to the bench.

The Terras’ bench saw four new faces from the replacements named on Saturday, with Jordan Seabright, Matt Tubbs, Antonio Diaz and Sean Stewart coming in.

In an opening 15 minutes in which both teams struggled to settle into the game, Frome had the better of play with Mitchell Page a threat up front for the Robins.

Page’s cross in the sixth minute caused a brief moment of discomfort for the stretching Travers, who was fouled in the air.

Knight then just failed to reach Mitchell Page’s flicked header on from a long ball forward.

In the 18th minute, Frome took the lead after an attack that was something of a scramble inside the box. Midfielder Jon Davies chipped in a free-kick that was initially headed up by Marcus Mapstone, before Ashley Wells flicked a header towards keeper Travers, who failed to gather first time, allowing Jackson to nip in and poke an effort in off the near post.

The goal seemed to compose Frome and soon afterwards right-back Ben Withey charged down the length of the field before handily picking out Jackson, whose first-time volley raced wide.

With 30 minutes played, Jackson latched on to a long ball and drove forward into space on the edge of the area before seeing his shot deflected into the gloves of Travers via Toby Down’s leg.

Weymouth then constructed their best move of the half when the creative Wakefield chipped a sublime ball over the top for the in-form Brandon Goodship.

The forward controlled deftly and bore down on goal, only to slide his shot just wide of Kyle Phillips’ far post.

Frome continued to take the fight to Weymouth in an entertaining first half as Page picked out Davies, who could only scuff his shot, before Jackson fired wide from the right of the area.

Weymouth continued to improve as the half wore on and a fine exchange between Wakefield and Calvin Brooks saw the right-back presented with a chance after his charge down, but he could only lash a volley wide from an angle 12 yards out as Frome held their 1-0 lead into the break.

Frome began the second half marginally the brighter, with Page and Jackson again mixing to good effect and enabling the latter to test Travers once more.

Both sides then might have scored in quick succession as Chas Hemmings sent a looping effort against Travers’ bar before Ben Thomson’s surging run ended with him slicing his shot well wide.

Manager Mark Molesley made two attacking changes in five minutes as Harry Baker and Diaz came on for Charlie Davis and Toby Down. And their introductions galvanised the Terras into a concerted spell of pressure as both teams scrapped for every ball in the closing stages.

Tubbs was added to the mix 12 minutes from time and he was slipped through on goal by Goodship but Phillips was out smartly to block his path to goal.

Diaz, who made a lively impact on the wing, then stormed down the left and picked out Baker, but the striker could only stab an effort wide when under pressure from behind.

Jake McCarthy was able to superbly hook clear with a sliding clearance from Jon Davies’ low cross as the end-to-end action continued in an engrossing finale.

As the Terras searched for a leveller, Brooks was upended on the very edge of the box, but Tubbs could only blast his free-kick into the wall.

Weymouth earned a corner in the dying stages, sending Travers up, and the keeper nearly scored his second goal of the season with a powerful shot that was deflected behind for another corner.

After that set-piece was cleared, Travers earned another corner which was again repelled by the dogged Frome defence to substitute Jefferies, who ran 70 yards before slotting home into an empty net beyond the recovering Terras defence to seal the win.

Terras: Travers, Brooks, Buckley, Wells, Down (Diaz 68), Carmichael, Davis (Baker 63), McCarthy, Thomson (Tubbs 77), Goodship, Wakefield. Subs not used: Seabright, S Stewart

Frome: Phillips, Withey, Teale, Miller, Mapstone, Hemmings, Davies, Raynes, Jackson (Jefferies 86), Page (Bath 78), Knight. Subs not used: Griffiths, Cleverley

Referee: Steve Graham (Southampton)

Attendance: 805