WEYMOUTH 3
MAIDENHEAD UNITED 1
Report: Alfie Lumb
Weymouth celebrated their first win of the season, beating Maidenhead United 3-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium to round off their Bank Holiday weekend on Monday.
Brian Stock has made 5 changes from Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Grimsby on Saturday, with Omar Mussa, Bradley Ash, Josh Leslie-Smith, Taofiq Alomowewe and Cameron Murray coming in for Bearwish, Brooks, Robinson, Goodship and Rose.
Maidenhead were starting the stronger of the two sides in the opening minutes of the contest. Josh Kelly looked to make a breakthrough in the 9th minute when his steaming run down the right beat 3 Weymouth defenders. The winger had time to pick out a low cross but Ben Morgan put in a block to deny the chance.
The Terras were feeling their way into the game and were looking to score from a corner in the 13th minute. Sean Shields ball was cleared, but only as far as Mussa. The central midfielder looked up and played a pass back to Shields on the right. The winger crossed the ball in again but the keeper came out to collect it.
Just 3 minutes later, Maidenhead had the first real chance of the game. A searching long ball found Kelly who controlled the ball down well before getting a shot away with his left boot. Ross Fitzsimons reacted quickly, parrying the effort away with his left glove, clearing the danger.
Morgan decided to try and take the game into his own hands in the 26th minute. The young centre back made a direct run through the Magpies midfield before being pressured on the shot.
It took only 2 minutes for the Terras to find a breakthrough in the game. Cameron Murray played a pass through to Josh McQuoid. The Captain looked up and saw Murray making an overlapping run before sliding the ball through to Murray. The winger squeezed the ball past James Holden from almost the byline to score Weymouth’s first goal of the season.
Weymouth had the chance to make it 2 in the 33rd minute. Shields whipped in a set piece from the right side which found Josh Leslie-Smith at the back post. The defender struggled to direct the free header however, with the ball going wide for a goal kick.
The Terras were hungry for more goals and bagged their second in the 42nd minute. Some good interplay from Bradley Ash and Josh McQuoid on the right allowed the Terras to make a break when the latter switched the play to Shields. The winger turned two defenders in the box and won a corner on the left which he took. The ball dipped into the penalty area where Tyler Cordner rose early to meet it. The Terras centre back headed the ball down and beyond Holden and the defender on the near post.
The Bob Lucas stadium was roaring within the first 2 minutes of the second half as the Terras had thought they had scored a third. Shields was looking dangerous from the left and took a shot just inside the area on the bounce. The ball flashed across the goal mouth and just as it looked to go in, it ricocheted off Holden’s left post.
The Terras came close again just 5 minutes later. A ball into the area from the left skimmed the head of Murray before bouncing up. Ash was closest to the danger but the Weymouth forward could only poke the ball further in the air. Murray collected himself and went to head the ball in but the ball deflected off the other post.
The Magpies then capitalised on Weymouth’s missed chances, getting themselves back into the game in the 61st minute. Terras defenders failed to clear the ball sufficiently allowing the dangerous Kelly to pick the ball up in the area. The Maidenhead forward took 2 touches before curling a shot around the gloves of Fitzsimons.
The Terras didn’t rest on their laurels and reestablished a 2 goal lead 3 minutes later. A lofted pass from Leslie-Smith found McQuoid on the right. The Weymouth captain was aware that Holden was rushing off his lines in an attempt to grab the ball, and in doing so, dinked a shot over the keeper to make it 3-1.
It was almost a fourth for the Terras in the 69th minute. McQuoid was being chased down by Maidenhead defenders and before being tackled, laid the ball off to the onrushing Cordner. The defender, already on a goal, opened his body well to take on a curling effort from 25 yards out. Holden stretched out his right glove to punch the ball out for a corner. Shields took the set piece with an in swinging corner which was headed goal bound by Ash, but straight into the gloves of Holden.
Josh McQuoid made way for Brandon Goodship in the 76th minute. This was Goodship’s 100th cap for the Terras over his 2 spells at the club.
The forward play from Weymouth was sharp and the side were almost through again in the 83rd minute. Ash back heeled the ball through to Goodship who took the ball into the area, but, after passing 2 defenders the strikers attempt with his left was blocked, with danger cleared.
With 5 minutes to go, the Terras were still searching for a fourth. A ball over the top of midfield from Ollie Harfield fell to the feet of Ash. The striker tried to lift the ball over Holden, but lost his footing with the shot, allowing the goalkeeper to save the ball easily.
Ryan Upward had the visitors last shot of the day. The substitute took on a shot from the far side of the area which had flashed across the face of goal before going wide.
Five minutes of added time saw the Terras keep control of the game to deny any further threat from Maidenhead.
Terras: Fitzsimons, Morgan (Robinson 59), Cordner, Mussa (Bearwish 89), McQuoid (Goodship 77), Ash, Leslie-Smith, Murray, Harfield, Olomowewe, Shields. Subs not used: Brooks, Rose.
Maidenhead: Holden, Wells (Beckwith 66), de Havilland, Parry, Clerima, Asonganyi (Smith 73), Ferdinand, Sheckleford, Acquah, Kelly, Adams (Upward 55). Subs not used: Blissett, Massey.
Referee: Scott Jackson
Attendance: 849
