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Have Weymouth Found The Whiteman
For The Job?
by Steve Dadd & Pete Pavey
29th December 2002
Weymouth’s injury woes continued as
Mark Robinson failed top recover from his groin strain and
Michael Dean’s recurring hamstring injury flared up again,
so Mark Whiteman who was a breath of fresh air at Stafford
a week earlier made a rare first team start.
It was Whiteman that had the first chance on goal with a
speculative 15-yard strike after 8 minutes, but his effort
screwed wide. Whiteman caused the Gingerbreads all sorts
of problems with his jinking runs and with a quarter hour
gone he was sliced down on the edge of the box, Hutchinson’s
curling free kick was well gathered by Ziccardi in the visitors
goal, within a minute Whiteman was hacked down again, the
lenient Mr Ebbage awarding a free kick on the right hand
edge of the box. Hutchinson stepped forward and his well-flighted
ball was headed into the side netting by Toby Redwood making
his Terras home debut.
Big and strong, the ghastly bright orange gingerbread men
looked dangerous on the counter and Stuart Wilson was put
into a good shooting position by Gary Bull but he blazed
wide.
With the Terras using both flanks Hale and Hutchinson linked
well to provide Mark Kenway with a glorious chance after
he had run in from deep, the ball crashed inches over.
Danny Bailey tried to grab a bit of glory in front of goal
on 26 minutes, with a crowded goal mouth the ebullient mid
fielders shot caught the unsighted Ziccardi off his guard
but the ex Nott’s Forest keeper recovered well and gathered.
With over half hour gone Gary Bull had the ball in the back
of the net for the visitors but Mr Ebbage had blown up for
offside well in advance.
Weymouth took a deserved lead after 33 minutes, after a
crazy goal mouth scramble following a Hutchinson cross from
the right, the ball pinged out to Hutchinson almost
on the corner flag, he curled the ball back into the mixer,
but Seamanesque it went behind Ziccardi and into the net.
The visitors strong arm tactics began to get woefully bad,
but My Ebbage was content in keeping the game going at the
expense of Weymouth players who were having lumps kicked
out of them. None more so than Phillips and Whiteman, Phillips
was twice bought down after turning his man and Whiteman
received a four arm smash to the throat and was later stamped
on resulting in a turned ankle, which may keep him out of
the big New Years day clash with Bath City.
Stuart Wilson cross to Lee Marshall followed
a great pass from deep by skipper Brendon McDaid, Marshall’s
stinging drive flew past the upright on 40 minutes.
Michael Sajic was having a quiet game,
but still threaded a beautiful ball through to Phillips
who burst goalwards, rounding the keeper his goal bound
shot was cleared off the line by Darren Dye.
So at half time the score was
Weymouth 1 Grantham Town 0
With barely a minute on the clock for the restart Lee Marshal
slipped behind the Weymouth rearguard but Jason Matthews
thwarted the big number seven with a stunning save.
Weymouth got back into the groove with Whiteman breaking
from the halfway line, he beat his marker and raced down
left flank, but his bye line cross was poor.
Grantham equalised on 56 minutes, a free kick way out on
the left by Dominic Hallows received the slightest of touches
from Darren Dye to wrong foot Matthews.
Here we go again sighed the claret and blue army expecting
an English cricket type collapse which has been the hallmark
of the Terras this season, however with the likes of Danny
Bailey to rally the troops the mood in the camp was full
of resolve as the Terras looked to regain the lead. Michael
Sajic's last kick of the game came on 69 minutes when, with
the ball bouncing free on the edge of the box he ran in
to drive home, only for the ball to be blocked by Danny
George.
Ashford came on for the lanky youth with the host’s really
bossing the game.
Grantham Keeper Ziccardi was lucky to be on the pitch after
73 minutes, Whiteman raced after a well weighted touchline
pass from Steve Tulley, the Lincolnshire gloveman came rushing
out of his area and took out Whiteman and then gathered
the ball in his arms, with the ground baying for a red Mr
Ebbage showed his true colours and produced the yellow.
Three minutes later another storming run down the right
flank this time by Tulley was intercepted by Ziccardi, again
he bought down the Weymouth player but Mr Ebbage ran from
the scene like a startled cat, Weymouth however had the
last laugh, from the cross, the most vertically challenged
player on the park, Matthew Hale, slipped in at
the back and headed home, he went err!. mental.
With Whiteman white hot, he ruled both flanks, and from
another of his searing runs down the right flank his cross
found the sliding shape of Lee Phillips who gratefully
pushed the ball home, this time the crowd went mental and
the noisy travelling support fell silent.
Lee Phillips bursting with confidence fired a great shot
on the turn right on the edge of the box deep into injury
time but Ziccardi saved and the Terras celebrated as Mr
Ebbage blew for full time.
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