WEYMOUTH 1
BARNET 0
IT COULD be a happy Christmas for the Terras after all. In recent weeks I have watched the Weymouth players trudging dejectedly from their Rec ground after disappointing failure before their fans. But it was so much different for them on Saturday.
The Terras were in much higher spirits after having beaten Southern Premier League championship chasers Barnet.
And there could have been nobody more happy than Dudley Barry. Barry was the match hero. He had battled keenly midfield throughout a ding-dong struggle and then hammered home Weymouth’s all-important victory goal in the 55th minute.
Barry most certainly enjoyed his goal – and so did the fans. For it was a wonderful goal, worthy of being a match winner.
It all started when Rod Adams, who has lately found fresh determination, forced a corner.
The corner kick was taken by Jimmy Goodfellow, who sent the ball high into the Barnet goalmouth. Jim McClelland, Barnet’s goalkeeper and ex-Northern Ireland international, could only partially push the ball away, and Barry suddenly burst through to take his chance.
Barry hit the ball on the volley and McClelland could only grope helplessly as it sped fiercely on its way into the roof of the net.
GREAT
Not long after this, Trevor Allen, the Weymouth attack leader, almost clinched matters, lashing in a great shot which clearly had McClelland beaten. But, unfortunately for the Terras, the ball hit the bar.
Barnet are a strong, talented side – as Weymouth discovered early. For while they scored the goal of the match, their goalkeeper, John Clarke, made the save of the exciting 90 minutes.
When Bobby King broke through on his own early on, Clarke came off his line to dive at the feed of the Barnet striker to save bravely at point-blank range.
Again, Weymouth won this match with a team effort. With Tony Hobson unavailable, they found Tony Rounsevell the ideal man to take over in the middle in a twin centre-half role with Ralph Miller.
Rounsevell hardly gave the strong Emberry, the Barnet leader, a look at goal and the forthright Miller covered well behind him, his first-time heading and solid kicking paying big dividends for Weymouth.
Jimmy Hill, brought into the back four at the last moment, had the job of making Les Eason, the former England amateur international and a striker “feared” by many teams. Hill did a great job, sticking to Eason like glue.
Weymouth: Clarke, Rounsevell, Glover, Hill, Miller, Bradbury, Adams, Barry, Allen, Goodfellow, Ames.
Sub: Moffatt
Attendance: 940