Terras All At Sea On The Moors
By Steve Dadd & Pete Pavey

17th February 2002

Ring rusty Weymouth took on eight placed Moor Green, keen to avenge their shock home loss to the Birmingham outfit and ready to build on their recent towsing of league favourites Kettering.

Moor Green showed their intentions after ten seconds with the booking of Richard Softley after a vicious late tackle on Rowbo. Two minutes later the same player made a dangerous two footed tackle on Lee Phillips that saw the league's top scorer require several minutes attention by the physio, this time a severe talking to was all that was warranted.

Moor Green's first goal came through poor defending of a quickly taken free kick, with the ball still rolling, and the Terra's still arguing, Craig Woodley sent across the kick that was fumbled by Potter, John Gayle gratefully poked home from a few yards.

Weymouth pushed forward, looking for all their worth, a quality outfit, but as they say, where there's muck there's money, and the frugally paid Midlander's hit their second on fifteen minutes, Lund chested down a pass from Cross right into the path of John Gayle, his shot, going wide was parried by Potter straight to Myers, Potter had a second flap at the ball but Myers slotted home.

It was all Weymouth as the visitor pushed forward, whilst the home side did an "Ali" and soaked up the pressure. Playing the counter attack, Moor Green surged up field on 23 minutes, Carters cross found Martin, his header looped over Potter's head, but was cleared off the line by Hutchinson.

For all their possession Weymouth could not break the home side's defence, Hale, Rowbotham and Dean all had shots that went in the general direction of goal but never troubled the Moor Green's glove man Rachel.

With the Dorset side's fans still confident as half time approached, The Terra's forced three corners, from the third the ball was launched in the favourable direction of Nathan Lamey, he collected, ran goalwards, and from a full 20 yards easily beat "The Shed".

So at half time, the Terra's trudged off the field with a three-goal deficit and looking for a scapegoat.

Weymouth took the game to Moor Green for the opening of the second half; playing up the grade on 50 minutes the Terra's were awarded a penalty after Dean Petty handled in the area. Simon Browne stepped forward and buried his low hard shot past the despairing dive of Rachel.

Weymouth continued to huff and puff but within five minutes Moor Green had restored their three goal lead, along ball out of defence picked out John Gayle, running straight at goal he lashed his shot past the marooned Potter.

This was getting embarrassing for the Terra's faithful, as the home side seemed to score at will.

Laws replaced Dean on 54 minutes, but to be honest, Deano was no better or worse than the other ten men out on the park in Terra's shirts.

The home side scored their fifth on 66 minutes, John Gayle bounded down the right flank after being set free from a ball out of defence, he sent the ball across the Lamey who struck the ball sweetly from all of 30 yards the ball curled and dipped its way past Potter as if wire guided.

Still Weymouth continued to push forward, and still Moor Green happily contained Weymouth and their efforts, Rowbo bought the best out of Rachel on 72 minutes, and Laws speculative drive skimmed the bar seven minutes later, but to no avail, Moor Green struck again on 85 minutes, Nathan Lamey got his hat trick with a thunderbolt of a shot from a long way out. Lamey obviously had some debts to clear as he increased his goal bonus with a fourth on 90 minutes. Thankfully the referee Mr Scarr did not take into account the four minutes of injury time and blew up right on 90 minutes, saving Weymouth further embarrassment.