Four-goal Beasley keeps Terras momentum

WEYMOUTH 4

Beasley 8′, 20′, 45+7′, 75′

GILLINGHAM TOWN 0

Weymouth Women made it two wins from two in pre-season when they defeated Gillingham Town Ladies 4-0 at the Marsh on Sunday.

A four-goal-haul from in-form Terras forward Lily Beasley saw Weymouth overcome their Dorset Women’s League counterparts in an extremely competitive fixture.

Beasley, who took her pre-season tally to seven, had bagged her hat-trick in added time of the first-half, before adding another with 15 minutes to go.

The Terras backline also continued to impress as they kept their second clean sheet of pre-season.

Much like the weekend before, Weymouth flew out the traps. Charlie Wilson twice coming close in the first 5 minutes, her first effort going narrowly wide and her second forcing a good save from the Gillingham goalkeeper.

Weymouth took the lead with their next attack when Beasley opened her account after eight minutes from a quickfire counter-attack.

Gillingham applied the pressure, as they desperately looked to equalise quickly, forcing a series of corners which the Weymouth defence dealt with.

Tricky winger Lucy Roberts, who was to be a thorn in Gillingham’s side, came close to doubling the Terras lead when she rattled the post.

Then Roberts and Beasley combined to extend Weymouth’s lead on 20 minutes, Roberts putting the ball on a plate and Beasley applying the finish.

The afternoon was not without its drama for the Terras, Meg Wilkinson and Paige McCarthy both having to be withdrawn in the first-half through injury.

Beasley almost secured her hat-trick shortly before half-time when she rounded the goalkeeper, only for Gillingham’s shotstopper to somehow get back to her feet in time to block the effort.

Beasley did however make it three in the seventh minute of stoppage time with a stunning finish to bring up her second first-half hat-trick of pre-season.

Gillingham came out stronger after the break as they forced Weymouth back and created a couple of chances of their own, one which was cleared off the line by Terras centre-back Emma Potter.

Roberts almost added her name to the scoresheet with an audacious effort from out wide, only a superb save from the Gillingham goalkeeper prevented the effort.

But with 15 minutes to go Beasley finished the game when she combined with Roberts again and fired an effort into the top corner, clipping the bar on the way in.

Shakira Howard did almost add a fifth for Weymouth, but again the Gillingham goalkeeper pulled out another good save at her near post.

Terras: Richards, Green, Lusty, de Havilland, Potter, McCarthy, Sibley, Wilson, Howard, Beasley, Roberts.

Subs: Osment, M.Wilkinson, Easton, Whelton-Legg, Barnard Irons.

Attendance: 112.