Evostik Southern League Premier Division
Bob Lucas Stadium
Tuesday 5th April 2016
The play off picture in the Evostik Southern League Premier Division remains no clearer after Brakes slipped up in Dorset against one of the chasing pack. With Weymouth now 3 points behind and Kettering Town lurking with games in hand, Paul Holleran’s side will need to rediscover the winning habit when relegation haunted Paulton Rovers visit Warwickshire on Saturday.
They did not really threaten the Terras goal enough to get anything out of this game, and while they kept the home side at bay fairly comfortably for the most part they were breached when Jack Wannell headed home from close range in the second half.
Ben Mackey sent an early header over the Weymouth bar as both teams settled into the game, while Jordan Copp registered the hosts’ first effort on target, which was held by Tony Breeden. The home fans were vociferous in their claims for a penalty when George Rigg went down inside the box, these were waved away by the Referee however.
Jack Edwards skimmed the top of the bar with a well directed header from Richard Taundry’s free kick, while George Rigg’s drive for the hosts was saved by Breeden, who also claimed a low effort from Mark Molesley, while Sam Austin curled a shot off target after a promising in a first half where both defences came out on top in the rare moments of goalmouth action.
Weymouth emerged from the interval showing more intent, Stewart Yetton seeing a well struck effort saved by Breeden in an early spell of pressure. The Leamington keeper also held a low cross shot from Rigg, before half time substitute Rob Ogleby engineered a sight of goal for himself with some good work inside the box, but under pressure from a defender he could not get enough purchase on his shot to trouble the Weymouth player manager Jason Matthews.
It was shortly after this that Wannell headed home a left wing free kick from close range to put Weymouth ahead, a lead that they rarely looked like relinquishing. Austin saw a shot blocked on the edge of the box with Ogleby screaming for a pass, while Brakes were yet again the victims of confusing midweek decision making from the officials, the assistant on the far side awarding a goal kick to the hosts after Ogleby’s shot from no more than a couple of yards out had struck Matthews and gone behind for a corner, this reporter having a birdseye view of it from right behind the goal!!
Any further goals looked more likely to come at the other end however, Connor Gudger doing well to clear Ben Thomson’s shot off the line, while the same man’s header at the far post was directed straight at Breeden.
There was a sniff of a late chance for Leamington when Ogleby headed on Taundry’s free kick into the 6 yard box, Matthews getting to the ball inches ahead of Edwards. There was still time for drama as Breeden collected a booking, possibly for a high boot as he just got to the ball ahead of Thomson as the striker charged in on goal, the home fans baying for a red card to be shown.
Brakes appear to have become shot shy at a vital point in the season, having failed to score in three of their last five games now. They will need to return to their form of just a few weeks ago that saw them soar back up the table if they are to realise their play off ambitions, with four more huge fixtures to come.
Attendance: 591
Weymouth: Jason Matthews, Ashley Wells, Mark Cooper, Dean Evans, Jake Wannell (15 Pat Baldwin, 82), Calvin Brooks ©, Mark Molesley (16 Chris Shepherd, 65), George Rigg, Stewart Yetton, Ben Thomson, Jordan Copp.
Subs not used: 12 Billy Lowes, 14 Tim Sills, 17 Sebastian Osei-Obengo.
Leamington: Tony Breeden, Richard Taundry, Connor Gudger, Joe Halsall (12 Ben George, 86), Jamie Tank, Joe Magunda, Lee Moore, Jack Edwards ©, Ben Mackey (14 Rob Ogleby, 46), Courtney Baker-Richardson (15 Ross Oulton, 80), Sam Austin.
Subs not used: 16 Martyn Naylor, 17 Eddie Caviezel-Cox.
Referee: Mr Graham Pearce
Assistant Referees: Mr Adrian Matthews & Mr Roger Smith
Brakes Man of the Match: Connor Gudger.
