Whiteman Sends Terras Into Final
by Lisa Loud

6th March 2003

Injury-hit Weymouth did just about enough to put an end to Bridport's giantkilling dreams.

The Terras were given a scare when Simon Gale levelled the match just after the hour mark, but Marc Whiteman kept his cool to fire home the winner with 20 minutes to go.

After striker David Laws had stung the palms of Bees' keeper Martin Peters with a rasping drive on 12 minutes, Bridport enjoyed the better of the early exchanges.

Chris Armstrong almost put them ahead when he raced on to Simon Gale's flick-on to lob Paul Gadsby in the home goal, only to see it drop the wrong side of the crossbar.

Gadsby was called upon moments later to block Gale's near post effort and he was also grateful to collect Armstrong's glancing header after Peter Conning had picked him out from a free-kick.

Weymouth gradually began to take control however and they took the lead on 32 minutes when the ball fell to Mark Robinson just 12 yards out and he drilled low via the boot of Lee Pashen to beat Peters' dive.

Marc Whiteman could have doubled the advantage shortly afterwards, but he poked wide after Laws had slipped the ball through.

On 39 minutes, John Lamb got in behind Simon Austin on the right edge of the area, forcing another save from Peters.

The Terras lost both Laws and Matthew Hale through injury just before half time, replaced by Ian Hutchinson and Carl Mutch, who nearly signed for Bridport earlier in the season.

Mutch was immediately into the action with a shot that went well over after good work from Whiteman.

Weymouth continued in the ascendancy at the start of the second period, Lamb going closest with a weaving run from the right hand side.

But Bridport levelled with a well-worked breakaway when former Terra Dave Newland fed Armstrong on the right flank and Gale got a toe to his low cross which was enough to take it past Gadsby.

Gale almost put the Bees ahead with a virtually identical chance, fired across by Newland from the right, but Bridport's leading scorer couldn't quite connect at full stretch.

The decisive strike came on 70 minutes when a messy clearance fell into the path of Mutch, Peters came rushing out to block his effort and Whiteman pounced on the loose ball to stroke into the empty net from 25 yards.

Weymouth settled well after their second goal and bossed the game as the visitors began to tire.

They had two shouts for penalties waved away. Firstly, when Robinson appeared to be bundled over by Pashen and then for a trip on Whiteman as he jinked his way into the area on 82 minutes.

Mutch went close with a half volley from Lamb's low centre and Whiteman also had a shot blocked at close range from Steve Tully's pull back on the right.

At the other end, Gadsby stood up well to deny Gale following Martin Underhay's lay off. Robinson and Bridport's Darren Stewart were both booked for fouls late on.