Weymouth exit FA cup at hands of Oxford City

Weymouth 2
Oastler 53 (OG), Robinson 63

Oxford City 3
Bradbury 13 (pen), Ashby 15, Hall 88

Report: Alife Lumb

A wet and windy afternoon at the Bob Lucas stadium saw Weymouth crash out of the FA Cup in dramatic fashion to National League South side Oxford City.

Brian Stock made three changes to his side that ran out 2-1 winners against Kings Lynn last Saturday, with Wakefield, Leslie-Smith and Brooks making way for Alefe Santos, Miles Anderson and Tom Whelan.

Weymouth started off the better of the two sides, keeping possession well and keeping the play within the oppositions half.

The visitors found a lead in the 13th minute. A through ball from Harvey Bradbury found left back Louis Hall, who unleashed a shot across goal. Jack Bycroft got down to turn the ball onto the post. The Terras could not get rid of the danger, and Miles Anderson gave away a penalty. James Roberts converted from the spot.

Two minutes later the visitors snatched a second. A poor back pass from Jake McCarthy to his goalkeeper was intercepted in the six yard area by Josh Ashby who tapped the ball in.

Oxford were utilising the left side and almost scored a third goal in the 33rd minute. Hall played a through ball to Roberts on the left wing. The penalty scorer charged into the area and unleashed a shot towards Bycrofts near post. The goalkeeper palmed the shot away to clear the threat.

Lewis Coyle had the next chance for the away side, picking possession up from a light pass in the Terras midfield. The midfielders effort was wide of the post.

Josh Leslie-Smith was brought on for Anderson in the 40th minute.

Corey Jordan gave the ball away from a back pass two minutes before the break, and hesitation from Bycroft allowed Bradbury to push towards goal. Leslie-Smith tracked back well to block the shot, denying another one on one opportunity.

McCarthy was subbed off before the second half to be replaced by Josh McQuoid.

Weymouth were unable to find a shot on target in the first half but pressured goalkeeper Ben Dudzinski in the 51st minute. Camp’s ball from the right was flicked on by McQuoid, which was acrobatically palmed away by the goalkeeper.

It was Oxford who had the first effort of the second half, but Roberts shot from range blazed over the bar.

Weymouth looked like a different team in the second half, and luck was on their side. The Terras found a way back into the game in the 53rd minute as Ollie Harfield’s dangerous cross was turned in by City captain Joe Oastler.

The Terras nearly made it 2-2 in the 58th minute, with Harfield creating another opportunity on the left side. His ball was flicked on by Brennan Camp in the area and was inches wide of the post.

It was backwards and forwards between the two sides as Oxford City struck the post from Roberts shot outside the area in the 60th minute.

Josh McQuoid was at the centre of everything good for Weymouth, and his cunning helped the Terras complete the comeback and make up for their dismal start to the game. McQuoid picked out Tom Whelan with a cute ball in a packed midfield. Whelan then lobbed the ball into the path of Andy Robinson. The number sixteen charged into the area and fired a shot away with his left foot across goal. The ball dipped and bounced, with help from the conditions, to beat Ben Dudzinski and make it 2-2 in the 63rd minute.

Seven minutes later Cody Cooke was through on goal care of a long ball. The former St. Mirren man saw Dudzinski off his line and attempted to chip the goalkeeper. The effort with his left foot was carried wide by the wind, sparing the goalkeepers blushes.

Sean Shields then twisted and turned in the left corner to find space and get the ball onto his favoured left foot. The winger picked out Cooke in the box, but the strikers header was wide.

Roberts had a chance to win the game in the 85th minute for Oxford. The tricky playmaker twisted and turned his defender to unleash a shot towards Bycroft’s near post. The goalkeeper had to adjust his positioning several times, due to the wily turns, but denied Roberts.

Weymouth’s resilience and spirit was finally crushed in the 87th minute, when a corner came out to Nana Owusu. The substitute played in a cross from the right wing deep beyond all Weymouth players towards the back post for Hall to volley it in, only a few meters from goal.

Despite four minutes of stoppage time, the Terras could not find a response, with City doing their best to slow the game down. The final score was 3-2 to the visitors.

Terras: Bycroft, Camp, Jordan, Santos (Thomson 82), McCarthy (McQuoid 46), Anderson (Leslie-Smith 40), Robinson, Cooke, Whelan, Harfield, Shields.

Subs not used: Benfield, Wakefield, Olumuyiwa, Hoey

Oxford City: Dudzinski, Drewe, Hall, Ashby, Oastler, Roberts, Fleet, McEachran (Owusu 74), Bradbury (Benyon 58), Coyle (Bancroft 90+2), Fernandez.

Subs not used: Martinez, Gough, Naylor, George.

Referee: Scott Jackson