Weymouth return to form as Wings are clipped

WELLING UNITED 1

Cook 65

WEYMOUTH 3

Baggie 45, McQuoid 73 pen, McCarthy 90+6

WEYMOUTH returned to winning ways with a valuable 3-1 victory at Welling United in the Vanarama National League South.

An evenly-contested first half was claimed by the Terras when Abdulai Baggie’s low shot past Wings’ keeper Daniel Wilks found the far corner in the 45th minute.

Welling, who were beaten play-off finalists last season, mounted a smart second-half comeback with a sharpened gameplan and their new approach paid off when Anthony Cook blasted past Mark Childs to equalise.

Weymouth needed a spark and landed one when Josh Wakefield was felled by a poor tackle from Rob Swaine in the area, skipper Josh McQuoid ending a goal drought stretching back to late November by converting the spot-kick.

After running down the clock expertly in the closing stages, Weymouth rounded off their win with a moment of redemption for Jake McCarthy, who fired past Wilks in the 96th minute to erase memories of his late missed penalty against Havant last time out.

It proved a profitable day for the sixth-placed Terras, who gained points on every team above them in the standings apart from Bath, who beat Billericay 2-1.

With an ongoing injury headache, boss Mark Molesley made just two changes to the side that began the 1-0 loss to Havant as Jordan Ngalo and Wakefield replaced the benched Tom Whelan and Brennan Camp, who was called up by Bournemouth as cover for their FA Cup tie with Luton.

Weymouth would have been frustrated that Camp did not make the Cherries’ squad, however the Terras were soon locked in combat with Welling in an entertaining start.

It took less than a minute for Welling to test Childs as striker Dipo Akinyemi tried his luck before McQuoid skied a good chance in reply following Ngalo’s lung-bursting run.

Akinyemi proved lively early on, working Childs again with a rasping drive, while Weymouth centre-back Sam Sherring deftly flicked a Welling corner to safety.

McCarthy then lifted a cutting Ngalo pass over the bar but Weymouth’s radar finally honed in on the net through Baggie.

Weymouth won a corner after Welling’s Korrey Henry hit the side netting at the other end, and Ben Thomson’s whipped cross along the six-yard box fell to Baggie who darted inside the area before beating Wilks with a fizzing shot into the far corner.

In the second half, an improved Welling threatened through a teasing Cook delivery and a fierce Jay Rich-Baghuelou strike and duly levelled when Henry supplied Cook to fire home in the 65th minute.

Wakefield might have done better two minutes later when Ollie Harfield’s low cross was cleared to him, but the midfielder blazed over.

At the heart of the action for Weymouth all afternoon, the impressive Wakefield then won a penalty in the 72nd minute, drawing a clear foul from Swaine.

McQuoid assumed spot-kick duties from McCarthy and blasted past Wilks to put the visitors 2-1 up and restore their swagger.

Ngalo, who deserved a goal for his lofty performance, was denied by a flying Wilks soon afterwards but Weymouth’s injury list grew when Wakefield hobbled off with an ankle injury 10 minutes from time.

Whelan replaced him and within seconds escaped yellow for abruptly halting a Welling raid forward.

Childs had to be at his best to paw away a Welling effort as the hosts upped the pressure, while Hobson made way for Ade Olumuyiwa after suffering back spasms.

The two changes did little to appease the unrest within an increasingly frustrated Welling support, who felt the Terras’ liberties with time were taken too far.

A professional display had further gloss applied to it when McCarthy banished demons of the Havant game to score in the last minute of stoppage-time, finishing off fabulous hold-up play from Thomson.

Weymouth now visit Verwood Town in the Dorset Senior Cup semi-final on Tuesday with a second win from six games, ending the most sparse run of Molesley’s tenure.

Welling: Wilks, Rich-Baghuelou, Green, Waldren, Swaine, Okosieme, McCallum, Agyemang, Henry, Akinyemi, Cook.

Subs: Goldberg, Anderson, Dymond, Emmanuel, Cosgrave.

Terras: Childs, Harfield, Wakefield (Whelan 80), Zubar, Sherring, Ngalo, McCarthy, Thomson, McQuoid (Williams 90+2), Baggie, Hobson (Olumuyiwa 90).

Subs not used: Rees, Odubade.

Attendance: 541