WEYMOUTH 0
ALDERSHOT TOWN 3
Rees 33, 89, Panayiotou 56
Report: Alfie Lumb
The Terras fell to a 3-0 defeat to Aldershot Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Tuesday night.
The away side were applying pressure early on in the game, however, their first real shot was fired over the crossbar from range by Shadrach Ogie in the 8th minute.
Just a minute later Aldershot had another chance. Josh Rees poked a pass through to Harrison Panayiotou. The striker was through on goal but his strike was guided wide by a last ditch tackle from Ben Morgan. The assistant had flagged for offside so a goal would not have been given if the shot were on target.
Aldershot were looking promising on the attack. A cute flick from Toby Edser allowed the winger to cut into the box from the left and lose his marker, Brennan Camp. The number 20 then attempted a curled effort with his right foot but again, the ball went over Ethan Ross’ goal.
Weymouth were struggling to play out from the back and Ross’ clearance had gifted possession to Rees 25 yards out. The midfielder played in Joel Nouble whose powerful shot in the area was then tipped over the bar by Ross, with the Terras keeper getting the narrowest of touches to see the ball over.
Weymouth came close to taking the lead against the run of play in the 31st minute. Pierre Fonkeu’s driving run towards the left hand side gave the Cameroonian an outlet on the left in the form of Sean Shields. The Terras winger played in a powerful cross which Mitch Walker struggled to keep under control. The goalkeeper tried to catch the ball but it had slipped from his hands before bouncing on his head. The ball was then caught by the shot stopper on the line.
Just down the other end Ross was called into action. A deflected pass was latched onto by Panayiotou saw the striker through again. His low shot was saved by Ross who came off his line to make the one on one save.
A minute later, the Shots took the lead. A deep cross from Nouble saw the ball into a dangerous area in the box. Rees made contact with the ball, his looping header went over Ross to make the score 1-0.
The visitors were dominating the play and were through again, Chile Kandi releasing Edser on the left. Ross was well positioned and came off his line quickly to collect the ball following a heavy touch from the Shots attacker.
Weymouth were awarded their first corner in the 43rd minute and almost made it count. Shields’ cross was struck by Calvin Brooks in the area. The shot took a deflection and went wide of Walker’s left post.
Stock made a double substitution at half time, taking off Jake McCarthy and Morgan for Ben Thomson and Josh Wakefield. This changed the formation from a 4 to 3 at the back to solidify the defence and allow a more attacking force.
The impact looked to be immediate. Shields was through on goal and attempted to take the ball around Walker. The goalkeeper was aware of the danger and the ball was cleared but only as far as another Terras player. Ngalo then attempted a first time strike but the ball went over Walker’s cross bar.
The visitors scored their second in the 56th minute. Nouble was creating space on the right before digging a cross out from the right. An unmarked Harrison Panayiotou headed the ball down to make it 2-0.
The Shots almost immediately went 3 goals ahead had Ethan Ross not denied Panayiotou twice in the area. The Terras goalkeeper parried the second save further away but another Shots player got a shot off which was denied again by Ross.
Thomson thought he had given the Terras a life line in the 63rd minute following a corner. The ball came out to a Terras player who then whipped a cross into the area, headed on by Thomson yards from goal. The strikers ball would have gone in if Kodi Lyons-Foster didn’t put his body in between the striker and goal to block the ball for a corner.
The Shots were kept the pressure on with the same energy as they started the game. Rees’ ball to the left was met by Craig Tanner. The substitute shot with his right boot just into the area but it was an easy save for Ross, the shot straight at the keeper.
Tanner had another chance from the other wing less then 10 minutes later. Nouble fed the ball into the versatile attacker who twisted and turned to make space around Terras defenders to curl in a shot with his left. Again Ross saw the effort well and positioned himself to pluck the ball from the air to deny a goal.
Late into the game the Terras attempted to get back into the game. Harfield’s steaming run saw the defender reach the byline. Harfield drove a low ball into the box. Fonkeu was waiting to pounce in the centre but the cross was too close to Walker, who had beaten the winger to the cross to deny the opportunity.
The game was out of sight for Weymouth in the 88th minute. Rees bagged his brace in style as the midfielder performed a ‘roulette’ spin in the area before firing a shot. The attempt was blocked and came out to Nouble whose shot was also blocked by Ross who had come off his goal line. The block deflected into the path of Rees who tapped the ball into an open goal.
Deep into added time Rees came close to his hat trick. The midfielder took a free kick from over 30 yards out which smashed against the cross bar before going out for a goal kick.
With that the game finished, 3-0.
Terras: Ross, Camp, Morgan (Wakefield 46), Mensah, Harfield, McCarthy (Thomson 46), Ngalo (Robinson 87), Brooks, Fonkeu, Shields, Dallas.
Subs not used: Murray, Luque.
Aldershot: Walker, Fowler, Sendles-White, Lyons-Foster, Rees, Kandi (Tanner 75), Panayiotou (Miller 85), Nouble, Anderson, Edser (Kinsella 81), Ogie.
Subs not used: Rowe, Hinds.
Referee: James Durkin
