The Terras suffered Boxing Day defeat in a fiery clash against Taunton Town, which saw the Peacocks win 3-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Taunton had the first chance of the game from a set-piece inside the opening minute. Lee Lucas floated in the free kick to Peacocks skipper Nick Grimes, who then picked out Zac Smith in space, but the midfielder’s cross was comfortably collected by Zaki Oualah.
The Terras drove up the other end and had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 4th minute. Tom Bearwish had fizzed in a ball across the face of goal to Luke Nippard. The wing back took on the shot first time but sent the ball over the bar.
Weymouth were trying to turn the screw on Taunton in the early stages and 3 minutes after Nippard’s opportunity, they found another. Ahkeem Rose twists in the box before going down from a challenge, the ball came out to Bradley Ash, whose shot had struck the side netting.
After 12 minutes, the Terras got another chance to break the deadlock from a corner, won well by Bradley Ash. The corner came in and was volleyed goal bound by Bearwish, but was deflected and sent wide for another corner.
Zac Smith was through on goal in the 20th minute after taking down a long ball. The tricky midfielder could only find the side netting.
Again the Terras turned defence into attack, running up the other end before Ash forced Bycroft into a reflex save with his feet.
Smith was looking strong on the ball and scored the opening goal of the game in the 26th minute, turning the ball past Oualah after forcing his way into the area.
Bobby Wilkinson was forced to make a change in the 40th minute as Rowan was replaced with Keelan O’Connell who looked lively within the last minutes of the first half, winning a free-kick in a dangerous area before later forcing Jack Bycroft into a double save in added time.
Weymouth made their momentum count and got a goal on the stroke of half time through Ahkeem Rose, rolling it past the keeper. The forward in fine form was found in the box by Cam Murray, who recently returned from his loan at Poole Town.
Taunton Town undid the Terras hard work in the latter stages of the first half by going ahead again 5 minutes after the break. A Peacocks free kick was cleared only as far as Lee Lucas, who took on a powerful shot from range which is fired into the top right corner.
Ash came close to drawing the teams level again in the 57th minute after his blazing shot from a tight angle smacked against the crossbar.
Just 3 minutes later, the woodwork proved to be Taunton’s saviour again. Tom Blair picked out a cross from the right side which was headed towards goal by Rose from a few yards out, but the chance came off the bar.
The game was close in the last 20 minutes with tensions soaring which saw Taunton boss Rob Dray given his marching orders by the referee in the 86th minute. Tempers flared as Nick McCootie went into the book for an off the ball challenge on Tom Blair 2 minutes later.
The Terras were pushing for an equaliser late into the 5 minutes of added time, with Rose coming close from an acrobatic attempt following a cross from Blair.
Despite the pressure, Taunton had the final say, with McCootie putting away the Peacocks third in the 95th minute of play with a shot inside the area.
