Phillips Injury Mars Holders Progress

Weymouth booked a place in the Dorset Senior Cup quarter-finals with an easy victory over Wareham Rangers at the Wessex Stadium, last night.

But the Terras 4-0 success against their plucky Premier League opponents came at a hefty price.

Striker Lee Phillips, who only arrived as a second half substitute, limped off with a nasty Achilles injury and is now a major doubt for Saturday’s big Dr Martens Premier Division relegation clash with Hinckley United.

Concerned manager Geoff Butler said: “When you dominate the possession like we did, you do run the risk of players getting injured in tackles. I thought Wareham played it sensible and didn’t try and kick lumps out of us, but Lee did get caught by a late one.

“The fella’s gone right through him and Lee’s been left in a lot of pain with stud marks all over his Achilles.”

He added: “It’s a bit too early to say how serious it is, but we’ve strapped him up and told him to rest it and all I can do is keep my fingers crossed for Saturday.”

On a bitterly cold evening which saw just 116 paying customers brave the sub-zero temperatures, it was Michael Dean who broke the deadlock following a fairly even opening quarter of an hour.

The former Bournemouth midfielder unleashed a speculative effort from fully 40-yards, which zipped past a wrong-footed Jimmy Hollywood in the Rangers goal.

Weymouth should have scored on their next two attacks but Sean Adamson somehow blazed wide from six-yards while Ian Hutchinson floated a much harder chance just over the crossbar.

Wareham, meanwhile, can lay claim to just one realistic opportunity all night and that came their way on 20 minutes.

Anthony Warrington cut in from the left flank after breaking from his own half and he was unlucky to see his well-struck drive spin across the face of Jason Matthews’ goal.

Adamson then hit the post at the other end before three goals in four minutes ensured the holders kept a firm grip on the trophy.

First Matthew Hale doubled the Terras advantage on 28 minutes following a deft Adamson nod down from a Michael Sajic centre, with Marc Whiteman adding a third straight from the restart.

Dean and Hale then combined down the left to set up Ian Hutchinson to drill home number four, 13 minutes before half-time.

With their place in the last eight secured, the Terras took their foot of the gas following the break although they still managed to create a procession of gilt-edged chances.

However, a combination of poor finishing and superb goalkeeping by Hollywood, prevented what could so easily have been a rugby score.

“We did a professional job,” added Butler, and you can’t ask for more than that. Wareham, to their credit, never stopped battling, and apart from Lee’s injury, it was a satisfactory night all round.”

Weymouth will now host Cranborne in the quarter-finals.

Weymouth:
Matthews, Sajic, S Browne, A Browne, Kenway, Dean, Lamb, Hutchinson (Phillips 45mins – Waldock 66mins), Adamson, Whiteman, Hale (Robinson 45 mins).
Goals: Dean, Hale 28, Whiteman 29, Hutchinson 32

Wareham Rangers:
Hollywood, Lonsdale (Smith 73 mins), Reeves, Hall (Welch 84 mins), Wright, Rutherford, Tubbs, Goodwin, Warrington (Heckford 61mins), Landers, Gwilliam.

Referee: Wendy Toms ( Poole )

Cautions: None

Attendance: 116