Weymouth vs St Ives Town

Recap

Dawkin does it again to deny Matthews’ men

JOSH Dawkin struck for the second time in two games in Dorset, as St Ives Town held the Terras to a 1-1 draw at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Dawkin – the man who also hit back to deny Dorchester Town on Tuesday evening – did exactly the same thing to Jason Matthews’ men just four days later.

His effort cancelled out a header from Weymouth’s Stuart Fleetwood which came a minute earlier, as the Terras were left to ponder another lacklustre home display.

The hosts made three changes from the side that were beaten by Whitehawk in the FA Trophy in midweek.

New loan recruit Tom McHale was given a start on goal after joining a day previously from Truro City.

He replaced player-manager Jason Matthews, who took himself out of the squad all together.

Ashley Wells was out with illness, meaning Charlie Davis featured at right-back, Stuart Fleetwood moved into the midfield, and Stewart Yetton started up front.

Jordan Copp also came in following an ankle injury to replace Aaron Rodriguez on the wing.

There was still no place for Chris Shephard, who was also ill, or Jake Wannell, who failed a fitness test on his calf. Conor Jevon and Tiago Sa returned to the bench for Weymouth.

Fleetwood started on the right hand side of the midfield with the Terras going 4-4-2 but it was from the opposite flank that the hosts created the first chance. Good work from Copp allowed the ball to be stood up for Ben Thomson, who glanced just wide after beating his man in the air.

McHale then had his first task to deal with as a Weymouth player, he got down comfortably to gather a shot by St Ives’ Tom McGowan.

Having switched flanks with Fleetwood, Copp then chanced his arm from range when he cut inside from the right and drove the ball wide with his left foot.

Copp continued to cause a threat however, his cross from the left, which flew over everyone and drifted just wide of the post, was the start of a manic minute in the contest.

From that, the away side cleared and broke through striker Dubi Ogbonna. He took the ball round McHale but was shrugged off the ball by a covering Weymouth defender.

Arguably the hosts’ best chance of the half came six minutes before the break. A defensive slip by the away side allowed Terras’ frontman Thomson to run with the ball and rifle an effort from the edge of the box, but it flew inches off target.

The second half started extremely slowly with both sides struggling to get hold of the ball. That was until another 60-second spell of madness, this time with a goal at either end.

The Terras took the lead on 54 minutes when a ball to the back post from Copp found Fleetwood, he drifted in from the right unmarked to nod the ball back across goal and into the net from close range.

But a lapse of concentration in the home defence moments after allowed that man Dawkin to find a leveller. He smashed home past a helpless McHale for 1-1.

Dawkin then almost made it two for the visitors just past the hour mark. He was left free to drill an effort on the angle but McHale got down to deny the effort.

From the resulting corner, the away side then had a huge shout for hand ball turned away – the hosts at this point looked extremely rattled.

But, having re-grouped, Matthews’ men went in search of a winner.

Substitute Rodriguez headed straight at the goalkeeper after he was picked out by Mark Cooper – the hosts also introduced Jevon from the bench and went to a back three.

Sam Jordan was also brought on as another attacking option, but there was no way through and the Terras were once again subject of a negative reaction from their frustrated fans on the full-time whistle.