HALIFAX TOWN 3
Hyde 2, Bradbury 31, King 47
WEYMOUTH 2
McCarthy 23, 90+3
Report: Alfie Lumb
Weymouth concluded their busy Easter Weekend with a trip up to West Yorkshire, losing 3-2 against promotion chasing Halifax Town.
The Terras were on the back foot 30 seconds into the game. Jamie Allen was alleged to have been brought down in the area by Dominic Revan. Jake Hyde stepped up to take the spot kick and was denied by Ethan Ross, who got down quickly to parry the ball away with his right palm. Hyde was first to react to the save and put the Shaymen ahead after a minute.
Halifax came close to making it 2 in the 10th minute. Josh Wakefield was dispossessed by Jack Earing who continued his run before firing a shot from range. Ross stood firm and parried away the shot.
Despite the constant Halifax pressure Weymouth got back into the game in the 23rd minute from a set piece. Sean Shields delivered an in swinging cross from the left which was turned in by Jake McCarthy beyond the out-stretched gloves of Sam Johnson
Halifax ran up the other end straight from kick off. Earing found King on the left but the left back drilled the ball into the side netting.
The home side regained the league in the 31st minute. A deep corner was met by Tom Bradbury whose header looped over a diving Ross and into the goal.
Shields came close to recreating his goal against Maidenhead with a chipped effort from range. Halifax goalkeeper Sam Johnson back peddled to claim the ball before crossing the line.
Halifax were continuing their pressure into added time of the first half. Neil Burns put a dangerous cross in the area with his right foot but Dominic Revan dove in to clear the ball and deny the dangerous chance, with players waiting to pounce on the second ball.
The Shaymen went 2 goals ahead 2 minutes into the second half. Senior took the ball into the box and released it to Hyde who then put the ball into the path of Jeff King whose shot with his left went beyond Ross to grow the sides lead.
Jake McCarthy almost bagged his second of the game in the 69th minute. A cross from a Terras player on the left was cleared only as far as McCarthy on the edge of the box who blasts the ball narrowly wide of Johnson’s left post.
Micah Obiero, who recently signed on loan from Huddersfield, drove directly into the penalty area. The debutant slipped the ball into Hyde who set up Earring to strike the ball first time. Earing’s curled shot with his right foot went wide of Ross’ goal.
Halifax found themselves with more men on the counter attack in the 80th minute, with Allen running at Revan. The Terras defender stood Allen up to block the cross and clear the danger.
Josh Leslie-Smith made his comeback from a long term injury, appearing in the 85th minute for Cameron Murray.
Obiero was looking threatening for the Shaymen and switched the ball over to Danny Williams on the left wing. Williams drilled the ball across the box which found Obiero but the debutant could only find the cross bar with his powerful first time strike.
Just a minute later the pair linked up again. Williams found Obiero who poked the ball into an overlapping Williams with his weaker foot. Williams played the ball across the face of goal, with Ross coming to meet him to leave an open goal. Hyde played the shot first time inches from goal but Leslie-Smith had blocked the ball on the line to see away the danger.
3 minutes into added time McCarthy got his brace. The midfielder was perfectly positioned at the edge of the box to fire a volley in with his right foot. The low shot caught Johnson off guard, the goalkeeper rooted to the spot as the ball went past his right.
The goal proved only a consolation as the Terras did not have time to complete the come back.
The game finished and the Terras fall back down to 20th in the National League.
Halifax: Johnson, King (Obiero 70), Senior (Williams 64), Bradbury, Byrne, Green, Clarke, Maher, Earing (Spence 77), Hyde, Allen.
Subs not used: Renshaw, Woods.
Terras: Ross, Wakefield (Thomson 66), McCarthy, Robinson, Brooks, Dallas, Mensah, Murray (Leslie-Smith 87), Revan, Harfield, Shields.
Subs not used: Benfield, Ngalo, Fonkeu.
