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Last-gasp Wells is Terras’ saviour in dramatic draw with Dunstable
A LAST-GASP leveller from substitute Ashley Wells spared the Terras’ blushes, as they battled back from 3-0 down to grab a point against Dunstable Town.
Wells proved the hero as Weymouth threw bodies forward late on having pulled two goals back and kept battling to claim a share of the spoils at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Following two defeats on the spin, Terras’ boss Jason Matthews made no fewer than four changes from the starting XI that lost 2-0 at home to Hitchin last time out.
Ben Thomson and Mark Cooper both came in after getting minutes from the bench at the weekend, there was also recalls for Calvin Brooks and Chris Allen.
Out of the side was Wells, Charlie Davis and Jordan Copp – Toby Down was out of the squad all together having gone back to Exeter, meaning Conor Jevon returned to the bench.
Dunstable went into the game having lost three of their last four league games. The visitors did however, know that a win would put them above Matthews’ side in the league table.
A selection of love songs were played over the sound system at the Bob Lucas Stadium ahead of kick-off, but the affectionate mood was soon soured as the visitors took the lead after just six minutes.
A cheap free-kick was given away by the home side on the edge of their own box. The resulting delivery was fired in at pace by Dunstable’s Danny Talbot and defender Bradley Hewitt got the decisive flick to glance the ball into the net.
Looking to respond, Terras’ frontman Stuart Fleetwood’s curling effort went just wide of a post. Shortly after, the former Cardiff City man lined up a free-kick which he failed to get up and down quickly enough from close range.
The hosts continued to push for a leveller and striker Thomson must have thought he had scored. Cooper skipped away from his man on the left and delivered a precise ball on to the head of the frontman, whose effort was hacked off the line by a covering defender.
The contest fell into a lull after that, but it soon sparked back into action in a negative way for the hosts on 37 minutes.
With the Terras giving the ball away cheaply, Duns’ striker Vences Bola was allowed to motor through the heart of the Weymouth defence and slot the ball in off a post when one-on-one with keeper Tom McHale, who was given no chance.
And just two minutes later, Bola was at it again. He pounced on a defensive lapse and put the ball into the net for 3-0 as boos rung out around the Bob Lucas Stadium.
But just a minute later, Weymouth pulled one back. Mark Molesley’s low drive caught visiting keeper Jack Smith, who should have done better, off guard and the ball trickled into the net.
Weymouth winger Aaron Rodriguez then came within inches of making it 3-2 with a dipping effort which cannoned off the bar in a frantic end to the opening period.
Wells was then introduced in place of Jake Wannell at the break for the home side with Brooks moving to centre-half and the Terras went close early in the second period.
Thomson’s shot was parried by keeper Smith, with the follow up falling kindly for the Blues’ stopper. Zubar then went close with a header from a corner.
Matthews then looked to the bench and brought on Jordan Copp in place of Billy Lowes, but for all their possession, Weymouth were failing to find the strike that would give them hope.
Dunstable had concerns of their own as substitute Sam Baffour had to be replaced just 17 minutes after coming on through injury. He was helped off the field by Weymouth’s Zubar.
And with the Duns struggling, they gifted a goal to put the Terras back in it. A cross from the left was headed into his own net by Talbot.
With the hosts’ tails up, substitute Copp then had the chance to make it 3-3. After a sublime save from Smith initially, he smashed the ball against a post on the rebound. Copp then tried his luck again from range with a daisy-cutter that fell just wide.
But with the final chance of the game, Weymouth got their leveller.
A ball pumped forward dropped kindly for Wells, who swung a left boot at the loose ball and beat Smith at his near post to send the home fans wild.
