Recap

Terras left frustrated in New Year’s Day derby

WEYMOUTH 2

Goodship 11’, Brooks 58’

POOLE TOWN 2

Smeeton 17’, Scrimshaw 71’

Weymouth gained ground on league leaders Taunton Town but were denied victory by Poole Town in a 2-2 draw at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Twice Weymouth led but, on each occasion, they found themselves pegged back by a Poole Town side who had gained a draw in dramatic circumstances against Salisbury only days before.

The Terras took the lead in the first-half when top-scorer Brandon Goodship found the bottom corner after 11 minutes. Poole Town were swiftly level through Jake Smeeton after Lloyd Thomas could only parry a well hit Will Spetch free-kick.

Right-back Calvin Brooks powered in a header at the back post, shortly before the hour mark, to put Weymouth in front once again, but Jake Scrimshaw headered in with only his second touch of the game to gain a point for the Dolphins.

Tiago Sa and Calvin Brooks came into the side for Ashley Wells and Yemi Odubade, as Weymouth looked to have had a reshuffle in defence. Brandon Goodship returned after illness in place of Jordan Ngalo.

Poole Town created the first opportunity of the match, when after 4 minutes Adam Grange found himself in space but could only pull his shot wide.

It didn’t take long for Goodship to open the scoring, after 11 minutes the league’s top-scorer picked up the ball out wide before being given the freedom to dribble across the edge of the box, beating a couple of defenders along the way and placing his shot into the far bottom corner.

Weymouth were almost two up within four minutes, Luke Cairney somehow got a hand to tip over a strong header from Ben Thomson.

Within minutes Poole Town were level, Spetch fired a speculative free-kick from 30-yards out, which Thomas in the Weymouth goal initially did well to save; but the quick-thinking Smeeton was on hand to put away the rebound.

The Dolphins had a chance for a quick-double, Jack Dickson did well to win the ball in midfield and played in the quick-footed Luke Roberts who looked destined to score, but Thomas made a great stop as he came rushing out to thwart the one-on-one opportunity.

Abdulai Baggie had a chance to score against his former club, an effort for him went close but only a deflection could prevent him from finding the back of the net.

A so far tepid derby was then given some needle when Brooks put in a strong challenge in front on the visiting dugout. Calvin Brooks found his way into the referee’s notebook, amid roars from the Poole Town coaching team.

The game then looked to be in danger of boiling over when Dolphin skipper Spetch grabbed hold of Thomson, which resulted in a grapple between the pair. Both were given cautions but, on another day, further punishment may have been deemed necessary.

Weymouth started the second-half on the front foot, McCarthy met a Josh Wakefield corner with a free header, but he couldn’t direct the opportunity goalwards.

Wakefield then nearly scored himself, after being played through by Goodship the Weymouth midfielder was frustrated by another fine save from Cairney.

Baggie, who had been a constant thorn in Poole’s side throughout the encounter then nearly assisted Goodship, after a great run down the line from the Sierra Leone wide-man, Goodship couldn’t convert Baggie’s pass but did earn Weymouth a corner.

The Terras pressure was then rewarded when Calvin Brooks powered in a header at the back post from Josh Wakefield’s corner, to put Weymouth in front for the second time in the game.

The Weymouth crowd thought they were going to see an opportunity for a third when Baggie was brought down in the box, but the appeals were waved away from the referee.

If Will Spetch was counting himself lucky to be to sent-off in the first half, he must have been considering himself very fortunate to not be dismissed just after the hour. A two-footed lunge from Poole’s experience skipper on Jake McCarthy remarkably saw him escape any punishment, with only a free-kick being given.

Brandon Goodship’s resultant free-kick had Cariney beaten but was denied by the crossbar.

There was a further penalty appeal from Weymouth when Calvin Brooks looked to have been pushed to the ground as he skipped around the Poole Town defence, but again these appeals were waved away.

Jake Scrimshaw had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he scored in the 71^st minute to level the fixture for the second time. Jordan Williams initial cross from the right had evaded everybody in the box, but the ball back in from the left found the AFC Bournemouth youngster in space for a free header.

Scrimshaw quickly had a chance to put Poole ahead for the first time in the game, but his attempted flick at the near post saw the ball go straight through his legs.

The Terras, desperate for the win, then created a series of good chances in the dying moments of the game.

First, Baggie was only denied from heading in a dangerous ball whipped into the box by a strong punch from Cairney.

Then, Harry Baker flicked on a long Thomas goal-kick into the path of Thomson, who had actually taken the ball around the on-rushing Cairney, but under pressure from the Poole Town defence he put his shot narrowly over.

And finally, Saturday’s hero looked destined to win the game, Yemi Odubade chased down a through ball and looked to be in for a one-on-one, but only a last ditched tackle from Williams prevented Weymouth taking the three points.

Weymouth: Thomas, Brooks, Sa, Buckley, Sherring, McCarthy, Wakefield (Odubade 70’), Carmichael, Thomson, Goodship (Baker 86’), Baggie.

Subs: Wells, Martin, Farrugia.

Poole Town: Cairney, Williams, Smeeton, Spetch, Leslie-Smith, Grange (Scrimshaw 65’), Griffin, Moore, Constable, Dickson, Roberts.

Subs: Gillespie, O’Connor, House, Bedford.

Attendance: 1,270