Weymouth edged out of FA Trophy as Barnet progress

BARNET 2

Walker 7, 12

WEYMOUTH 1

McCarthy 20

WEYMOUTH exited the Buildbase FA Trophy first round with a harsh 2-1 defeat against Barnet, who finished with 10 men at the Hive Stadium.

Josh Walker’s rapid double ultimately cost the Terras, who pulled a goal back in the 20th minute through Jake McCarthy.

Long periods of Weymouth pressure followed and sub Jordan Ngalo should have netted 19 minutes from time, blazing over, before Bees’ sub Dan Sparkes received a second yellow.

Barnet used their experience to hold onto the result, while Weymouth will feel bereft of a replay after another strong performance against National League opposition.

Barnet, who are placed 19 spots above Weymouth in the league pyramid, were unchanged from their 2-1 victory over AFC Fylde last time out.

Weymouth, meanwhile, featured two changes to the side that started the 1-0 loss at Dorking with Stephane Zubar and Brett Williams replacing full-backs Calvin Brooks and Callum Buckley.

Brooks was absent from the squad completely with injury, while Buckley was benched.

Weymouth reached the first round proper with a 1-0 victory over an impressive Hastings side, ranked two divisions beneath them, but this time were the ones targeting a giant-killing.

Early signs looked promising for the Terras, who saw a chipped Josh Wakefield cross force a prompt clearance from the Bees’ rearguard.

However, Barnet gave Weymouth a timely reminder of their National League quality with two goals in a blistering five-minute spell.

Weymouth appealed for both handball and offside against Walker from a long ball but with referee Carl Brook waving play on, the Barnet forward confidently despatched a one-on-one chance past a stricken Calum Ward.

In the 12th minute, a carbon copy goal followed soon after as the Bees aimed a diagonal ball inside left-back Ollie Harfield, who stopped to appeal for a flag.

Walker gleefully latched onto the pass and slotted coolly past Ward for his second as Barnet threatened to run away with the contest in the first half.

And Ward was at his alert best on 17 minutes to deny Walker what would have been a 10-minute hat-trick, pawing out his header from James Dunne’s pinpoint cross.

Needing a response, Weymouth got one as McCarthy unleashed a deflected, dipping shot that deceived goalkeeper Scott Loach as the Terras halved their deficit.

With Weymouth finally adapting to Barnet’s narrow formation, the visitors grew into the half and saw Wakefield send a half-volley inches wide of Loach’s uprights.

An unrelenting, breathless half continued with end-to-end football but Weymouth did conjure a spell of concerted pressure with three corners.

McCarthy saw a shot blocked, Barnet headed the second clear and a handball appeal from the third was waved away before half-time.

Immediately after the restart, Abdulai Baggie shot just wide from Ben Thomson’s flick as Weymouth maintained their momentum.

McCarthy, who had a stellar game in midfield, displayed his hunger for a second but his rifled shot flew into the stand behind Loach.

Barnet muscled their way back onto the ball and forced Ward into a good save as Jack Taylor supplied Wes Fonguck.

Weymouth should have equalised on 71 minutes when sub Ngalo, who replaced the quiet Josh McQuoid, blazed over from four yards on the half-volley after Williams saw his flicked header magnificently saved by Loach.

Baggie then hooked over a Harfield cross as Weymouth pressed on, prompting a change from Barnet as two-goal Walker came off for Mauro Vilhete.

Weymouth were given late hope when Barnet’s Dan Sparkes, introduced in the 61st minute, earned a second yellow for kicking the ball away, his cameo lasting just 23 minutes.

Sparkes’ dismissal gave rise to incessant Barnet time-wasting while the hosts also expertly ran the clock down by playing passes into the corner.

Despite five added minutes, Weymouth could not create a clear-cut chance to equalise and bowed out of the competition at the first round stage.

Barnet: Loach, Alexander, Johnson, Reynolds, Dunne, J Taylor (Adams 80), Akinola, H Taylor, Fonguck (Vilhete 74), Walker, Tutonda (Sparkes 61). Subs not used: Azaze, Syla, Vasiliou, Hernandez.

Terras: Ward, Harfield, Wakefield, Zubar, McCarthy, Thomson, McQuoid (Ngalo 63), Baggie (Odubade 80), Williams, Camp, Hobson. Subs not used: Rees, Buckley, Burns, Sherring, Medway.

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 624 (140 Terras)