Recap

Portland United 0-6 Weymouth: Brad Ash scores twice

PORTLAND UNITED 0

WEYMOUTH 6

Ash 11, 28, Cordner 44, Leslie-Smith 50, Shields 69, Bearwish 87

WEYMOUTH coasted to a 6-0 victory over an energetic young Portland United side at the Camp & Satherley Stadium.

The Terras scored three goals in each half but Portland were highly impressive given the four-division gulf between the sides.

Franklyn Clarke’s Blues also finished with numerous 16-year-olds on the pitch, capping a good evening’s work for the islanders.

Portland were never expected to seriously challenge Weymouth in this contest.

However, the Blues’ shape proved hard to break down as the hosts worked hard in humid conditions to limit Weymouth’s chances.

Weymouth did score in the 11th minute when Ash stuck a boot out to deflect Andy Robinson’s shot past stricken Portland goalkeeper Mike Edgar.

Edgar reacted sharply to save from Brandon Goodship in the 20th minute but was powerless to prevent Weymouth’s cheeky second.

Ollie Harfield played in Goodship down the left and his low cross was slightly behind Ash, who impudently hooked a backheel past Edgar at the near post.

Robinson then curled over a free-kick from 20 yards before Oli Lowes had Portland’s only shot on target of the match, curling a free-kick at Gerard Benfield.

But the tall figure of Tyler Cordner nodded Weymouth into a 3-0 half-time lead in the 44th minute, getting up well to beat Edgar to a cross and nod into an empty net.

After half-time, sub Josh Leslie-Smith also got on the scoresheet, guiding home sub Ahkeem Rose’s fine cross in the 50th minute.

Cordner then exhaled a sigh of relief when Portland sub Aaron Ryan robbed the centre-half of possession, but the centre-half used his frame to usher Ryan off the ball, surviving cries for a penalty.

Rose had been a bright spark since coming on and an electric burst of pace to beat sub keeper Josh Lucas to the ball near the byline helped set up a fifth as Sean Shields tapped home.

With 10 minutes to go, Dorset lad Tom Bearwish nodded wide six yards out but atoned for his miss by despatching an easier chance in the 87th minute as Weymouth wrapped up the win.

Blues: Edgar, Lowes, Hutchinson, Tennant, Poole, F Clarke, Williams, McKechnie, L Clarke, Morris, Leake.

Subs: Ryan, Thomas, Diaz, Scott, Borthwick, Smith, Holloway, Moggeridge, Lucas, Knott, Frost.

Terras: Benfield, Morgan, Cordner, Trialist, McQuoid, Harfield, Trialist, Goodship, Trialist, Robinson, Ash.

Subs: Murray, Bruton, Rose, Leslie-Smith, Brooks, Shields, Bearwish, Neild, O Peart, Walbridge.

Attendance: 468