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Davis delivers as his late spot-kick ensured Weymouth beat Redditch United
A LAST-GASP spot-kick from Terras’ midfielder Charlie Davis ensured Weymouth sealed their first home win of the season in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division.
Davis stepped up and held his nerve after Ben Thomson was brought down in the area to set up a dramatic finale against the Reds, who also had Ricardo Dudley sent off late on.
After Tuesday night’s thumping at the hands of Chippenham Town last time out, player-manager Jason Matthews made no fewer than four changes to his starting XI, and they paid dividends.
Two-goal hero form the opening day at Biggleswade, Sam Jordan, was rewarded with his first league start for the club.
There were also places for winger Aaron Rodriguez, midfielder Billy Lowes and Ashley Wells, who returned at right-back following a knee injury. Wells’ return meant that Mark Cooper switched to the left of the back four.
One notable absentee for the home side came as Chris Shephard was unavailable. Jordan Copp, Stewart Yetton and Conor Jevon dropped to the bench.
As expected, the Reds, who had won two from two in the league and scored seven times in the process going into the game, named former Republic of Ireland international Clinton Morrison in their starting XI.
It was a bright start from the hosts however, as Rodriguez teed up Dan Smith on the right hand side of the Redditch box, but he fired wide of the mark on the angle. Jordan then could not quite connect with an acrobatic effort.
On 18 minutes, Weymouth’s Mark Cooper saw his low drive blocked on the line after he drilled Jake Wannell’s cut-back from the left – the follow up effort was blazed over the top.
Just three minutes later, with the Terras looking comfortable, Rodriguez had a glorious chance to open his account for the Terras.
He was teed up after great work again from Smith down the right saw him outpace Dudley, but his opposite winger failed to make contact and the chance came to nothing.
The same two Terras then combined once again for the home side as Smith’s devilish ball in was met by the head of Rodriguez, who forced a good stop from visiting keeper Bradley Catlow as Weymouth continued to dominate.
Smith and Davis then combined with a neat one-two which allowed the former to burst into the box, but he failed to work the Reds’ keeper.
After a couple of changes for the away side at the break, Morrison got his first sight of goal within seconds of the restart, but failed to work Matthews, who was really a spectator for the most par, from the edge of the box.
But, as the Terras got going once again, they knocked on the door once more.
Dean Evans fired over a knockdown after keeper Catlow failed to punch clear for the visitors. Lowes then took aim but failed to hit the target.
A big moment in the game as a huge shout for a Weymouth penalty was waved away by referee Matt Rushton on 65 minutes.
Jake Wannell rifled a shot which was blocked by Redditch’s Cameron Young, it appeared to be by his hand, but nothing was given as the Matthews’ men pleaded with the match official.
Copp then should have done better having come off the bench when he was played in by Smith, who was having an impressive afternoon.
Yetton was then introduced in place of Lowes with five minutes left on the clock, as the Terras gave it one last roll of the dice to find a winner.
Redditch were then reduced to 10 men late on as Dudley was given his marching orders for a second yellow.
But that was not the end of the drama.
As Redditch had a huge shout for a penalty of their own turned down, Terras’ frontman Thomson was adjudged to have been felled by his man inside the area.
And, after a heated melee ensued with strong words between Wannell and Morrison, up stepped Davis, who kept his cool in the third minute of stoppage time from 12 yards to fire home.
