Terras Bounce Back at Bridport

Bridport 0

Weymouth 12

Sibley 7, 25, 42, 79, Howard 30, 61, 68, 89, Potter 40, Roberts 57, Beasley 73, Johnson 90.

Weymouth Women bounced back in style as they defeated Bridport 12-0 at St Mary’s Field in the Dorset Women’s League.

Four-goal hauls from both Tasha Sibley and Shakira Howard, as well as goals from Lucy Roberts, Emma Potter, Lily Beasley, and debutant Naomi Johnson, saw the Terras pick up their first three points of the season.

Looking to make amends for the defeat against Holt United on the opening weekend of the season, it only took the Terras seven minutes to take the lead. Newly appointed vice-captain Tasha Sibley picking the ball up in midfield before beating two Bridport defenders and slotting past the Bees’ keeper.

Weymouth quickly looked to double their lead through Beasley and Meg Wilkinson, some fine sweeper keeping from Bridport stopper Amanda Holmes twice beating the Weymouth forwards to the ball on the edge of her area, backed up by Caitlin Corbett making a goal line clearance to deny Beasley.

The tenacity of attacking midfield duo captain Charlie Wilson and Katy Wilkinson began to cause problems for the Bridport defence, Wilkinson went very close to scoring when she latched onto the end of a cross from Roberts but couldn’t keep her effort from going over the bar, whilst Wilson saw her effort saved.

Sibley did finally make sure Weymouth were rewarded for their persistence when her strike from distance flew into the bottom corner to put the Terras two up.

Minutes later, Weymouth goalkeeper Georgia Richards was called into action when a bursting run from Lauren Sweetman saw the Bees forward break through the Terras defence, but Richards stood strong and saved the close range effort before gathering.

Weymouth went three up on the half-hour when Holmes at full stretch did well to push Beasley’s effort onto the post, but an alert Shakira Howard pounced on the loose ball to get her first of the afternoon.

The Terras added another two shortly before half-time courtesy of two corners from Howard, centre-back Emma Potter latched onto the first and Sibley secured her hat-trick on 42 minutes when she reacted first to drill past Holmes.

Undeterred, Bridport were still determined to find a way back into the game, when Amy Nicholson found a way through the defence Potter tracked back and sacrificed herself with a superb last ditch tackle.

It was much the same in the second-half, on 57 minutes Roberts scored her third of the season when she brought down a Howard cross before tucking the ball into the bottom corner.

A quickfire double saw Howard pick up her hat-trick when she firstly scored a one-on-one, followed by her best of the afternoon, a piledriver into the top corner to score the third.

Coming off the back of scoring 7 in pre-season, Lily Beasley scored her first league goal of the season when she rounded the on-rushing goalkeeper to put the ball into the empty net.

Despite the number of goals scored, a lot of credit had to be given to the backline of Ashleigh Taylor, Potter, Becca de Havilland, Cimon Barnard-Irons and subs Kate Osment, Beth Barnard-Irons and Sammie Eaton who marshalled the defence superbly when called upon.

Credit also has to go to Bridport who continued to fight until the end, Nicholson almost catching the Terras defence out when she rattled the crossbar with an effort from 30-yards-out.

Weymouth introduced Naomi Johnson in the last 10 minutes who made an instant impact on her debut, setting up Sibley who delightfully chipped the keeper on a one-on-one.

Sibley then set up Howard to complete her haul, before Johnson finished off an impressive cameo performance by coolly scoring the twelfth of the afternoon.

Weymouth are next in action in the Dorset Women’s League on 25th October when they meet Redlands Rebels.

Bridport: Holmes, Corbett, Denslow, Herbst, Kirlew, McNamee, Nicholson, Poynton, Richards, Sweetman, Weller.

Terras: Richards, Taylor, Potter, de Havilland, C.Barnard-Irons, Sibley, K.Wilkinson, Wilson, M.Wilkinson, Beasley, Roberts.

Subs on: Osment, Howard, Eaton, Johnson, B.Barnard-Irons.