Recap
Weymouth 2
Wilson P 3′ Screen 4′
Frome Town 0
South West Regional Women’s League East Division (02/02/24)
A lightning start was enough to earn Weymouth a third straight league win, as they cruised to a 2-0 win over Frome Town at the BLS.
Both Ruby Clark and Kaydee Thornicroft missed out through illness, whilst Bianca Osborne stepped up from the development team. Having recently become the team’s leading appearance maker, vice captain Emma Potter was given the opportunity to lead the team out at the BLS.
High on confidence, the Terras got off to the dream start. Just 3 minutes in, Screen was tripped in the box and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Charlie Wilson confidently slotted the ball home, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
That was a good start, but less than a minute later it got even better. The Terras pressed Frome from the restart and a wayward back pass sent Emily Screen clean through one on one with the goalkeeper. The keeper got a glove to the shot but it wasn’t enough to prevent it trickling over the line to make it 2-0 after less than 5 minutes.
Frome were shellshocked and the confidence was flowing for Weymouth. They knocked the ball around at will and created numerous chances for more goals.
On 12 minutes, Webb and Screen linked up well down the right which resulted in the latter curling a shot just over the bar from the dge of the D.
2 minutes later, Webb charged down a clearance from the keeper, but the keeper recovered well to block the resulting shot behind for a corner which was fired wide by Redding.
Webb was again thwarted by the visiting keeper on 17 minutes when she latched onto a wonderful cross-field ball from Wilson, as her shot on the angle was blocked behind for another corner.
Next up it was Lucy Roberts turn to work the visiting keeper, who managed to gather her free kick at the second attempt, before Redding’s long range effort was well held.
After half an hour, Frome began to stem the flow and gain a foothold in the contest. They had their first effort on the Terras goal when Weymouth failed to clear their lines but the shot from the edge of the D was comfortably wide of the mark.
Shortly before the break, Screen showed good tenacity to win the ball off of a defender and forced the visiting goalkeeper into a sharp save low to her left. Despite the keeper’s heroics, the Terras went in 2 to the good at the break.
Weymouth came agonisingly close to adding a third goal 5 minutes into the second half when Perry’s curling effort struck the corner of the post and crossbar before being scrambled to safety.
Shortly afterwards, Perry played in Webb with a perfectly weighted through ball, but the young striker’s shot was well smothered by the visiting goalkeeper, who was having an afternoon to remember.
Then it was Osborne’s turn to go close. Her stinging drive was palmed back out and Webb’s follow-up shot from the edge of the box was blocked by a desperate dive from a defender.
Osborne then fired over the bar after some nice build-up play involving a few dozen passes, and then Potter drove forwards and layed it off for Standen who became the latest Terras player to be left frustrated by the heroics of the simply inspired Frome goalkeeper.
She was keeping her side just about in the game, and while it was only 2-0 they always had a chance of making a game of it. But Weymouth defended brilliantly throughout and limited Frome to very few oppurtunities to fashion any sort of effort on goal.
On 77 minutes, Roberts rode several challenges and made it to the byline before pulling it back for Wilson in the box who had her effort well held by the keeper.
Into the final 10 minutes, Weymouth gave away a few soft free kicks in dangerous areas which gave Frome a glimour of hope. On 86 minutes Heybourne was called into action to preserve her clean sheet, as she tipped a free kick from the edge of the box over the bar. Then in added time, she was alert to hold onto a low drilled free kick from the edge of the D.
Deep into added time, there was time for the Frome goalkeeper to thwart Webb one last time, but despite her heroics, the damage had been done in the opening few minutes, and the Terras made it 3 consecutive league wins for the first time since promotion 2 years ago, and also this was the first time they’ve kept back-to-back clean sheets in this league.
All in all a solid home performance from the Terras against a dogged Frome side who defended valiantly throughout.
The result means Weymouth are now mathematically safe from relegation and are now looking up the table. They’re only a point off the top 5 and confidence is high. They’ll look to continue their fine form next Sunday when they face a big test away to title chasing Royal Wootton Bassett.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Weymouth’s development team fell to their first defeat in 5 games. Zara Hunt’s goal wasn’t enough to prevent a 3-1 defeat to Dorchester Town, but there were still plenty of positivies for the Terras to take from the performance, and the result is a big improvement on the previous meeting between the sides at the start of the season.
The Development team have a week off next week before they travel to Longham on 18th February.
Terras starting XI: Heybourne, Potter, Standen, Screen, Fowler, Redding, Wilson, Billing, Roberts, Webb, Davis. Subs – Ellis, Perry, Osborne
Terras player of the match: Charlie Wilson
Development Team player of the match: Laura Luxton
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Frome Town