By Alfie Lumb
Ahkeem Rose’s late strike ensured that the Terras saw off 10-man Welling United with a 2-1 win on Saturday afternoon at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Bearwish was fouled by James Dunne on the inside of Welling’s half 7 minutes in. A short free-kick routine between Tom Blair and Harry Kyprianou saw Blair float in a cross from the left, headed behind for a corner. Blair whipped in the resulting set-piece which was headed inches wide by Ahkeem Rose.
Chi Ezennolim tried taking the game to the Terras in the 9th minute, directly charging through from left back to find his way into the area but he dinks the cross over the roof of the net.
The visitors had a gilt-edged chance in the 13th minute to take the lead. Stefan Payne played an outside of the boot pass with his left foot to split the defence open, allowing Kyrell Lisbie a one-on-one chance against Zaki Oualah. The keeper rushed off his line, forcing Lisbie to attempt a dinked effort early, which saw the ball bunch wide.
Weymouth were given a man advantage in the 28th minute, after Amadou Kassarate was shown a straight red card after a high boot to face of Harvey Slade as the Terras player cleared the ball away from a corner.
Frantic action in the 36th minute saw a back-and-forth attack and defence from both teams. A Tom Blair corner was cleared off the line following another header from Rose at the back post. Welling countered through Balarabe who found Lisbie but Xander McBurnie provided a crucial last ditch tackle. The battling midfielder cleared the ball upfield for Bradley Ash who cut in before taking on a curling effort which deflected wide for a corner.
Tensions flared within the 3 minutes of half time as, after Ash’s yellow card, the Welling manager was booked for dissent.
Welling had a chance a minute into the second half to take the lead. Payne’s ball from the right was hit in to Sadik Balarabe at the near post. The striker connected well with the ball, beating Oualah at his post, but the shot ricocheted against the post and wide for a goal kick.
The Terras went into second gear in the 53rd minute and looked to make the man advantage count, bagging the games opener. Keelan O’Connell, fresh from coming off the bench at half-time delivered a low cross from the left side. The fizzing ball went through a crowded penalty area before being turned goal wards by Ash.
Weymouth could have doubled their lead in the 59th minute, after a silky one-two pass between Ash and Kyprianou saw the left back scythed down in the area. Rose stepped up to take the set-piece, firing his penalty to the keepers right, with McKenzie-Lyle matching the shot, parrying the ball away.
In the space of 2 minutes, the Terras had as many chances to find their second. A wide ball to the feet of Ash was directed goal wards with a first touch but the ball went just past the wrong side of the post. Then on the Terras next attack, McBurnie lined up a viscous half-volley, but the effort was deflected wide for a corner.
The Terras were stretching their visitors, but lost their lead in the 83rd minute. A thunderous low strike from Dunne smacked against the upright before coming back out to Ade Azeez who tapped in the rebound.
Weymouth, now looking for a winner, tried so down the left. O’Connell floated a ball into Blair at the backlist. The winger headed the ball across the box for Ahkeem Rose, but the strikers hooked shot with his left boot went over the bar.
The home side needed a miracle and were handed it deep into added time, finding the winner. A corner was floated deep into the area and poked goal wards by Ash. A Welling defender cleared the ball off the line before Rose punted the ball in. With defenders unable to clear this chance off the line, the Terras were handed the win.
