Boss Claridge strikes to save Terras blushes
by Matt Pitman

1st December 2003

A late Steve Claridge equaliser earned below par Weymouth an FA Trophy second round replay they scarcely  deserved.

The hot favourites secured a draw at the Wessex Stadium after hauling themselves back from the dead against their lower league visitors.

The Terras were trailing 3-1 to the Ryman Division One outfit when substitute Claridge threw himself on to help secure his side a second bite of the cherry in Middlesex tomorrow night.

The sigh of relief from the hosts at the final whistle masked a shocking display that was a world away from the previous week's storming league win against Hinckley United.

Time after time Ashford were aided by basic Weymouth errors and it will take a much better showing if the Dorset side are to come through the replay.

After volunteers spent two hours forking the rain-sodden Wessex Stadium pitch before kick-off, early on there was little sign lowly Ashford would turn the form book on its head.

Claridge was forced to make a couple of changes to his starting line up, with the player-boss himself and defender Jamie Impey ruled out through illness.

That meant defender Mark Kenway, who had a torrid afternoon, and striker Scott Partridge were both thrust back into first team action after lengthy periods out of the side.

And Partridge immediately repaid the faith shown in him by steering Weymouth into a tenth minute lead.

Lee Philpott's beautiful 40 yard pass released the scampering Andy Lindegaard down the right flank.

He streaked past Brett Johnson and Steve Croxford before finding Philpott who crossed for Lee Phillips to head into the path of Partridge.

The striker made no mistake from close range.

It looked like being a hatful early on with an Ian Hutchinson chip testing Ashford keeper Tony Wells and Lindegaard flashing a header wide.

But that purple patch was about as good as it got for Weymouth in the opening period as the Ryman Division One outfit took control.

Ashford fired a warning shot just before the break when Aidan Kilner's dangerous free-kick from deep was flicked on by Adam Foulser into the path of Richard Butler.

The striker looked to have done the hard work by rounding keeper Jason Matthews to get his shot in from a tight angle.

It looked a goal all the way but somehow the Terras gloveman got back and deflected the ball over with a superb reaction save.

Butler made amends for that miss though by deservedly hauling the visitors level in first half stoppage time.

The 18-year-old took advantage of some sloppy Weymouth defending to latch on to Jim Hibburt's long ball and nip past Matthews to slide into an empty net.

Things didn't get any better for the hosts after the break and they were left stunned when Ashford struck twice in five minutes.

Aidan Kilner gave them the lead 120 seconds after the restart and it is doubtful there will be a better goal scored at the Wessex this season.

The striker picked up possession fully 35 yards out, took a couple of strides and cracked a wonderful, swerving drive which arrowed into the top corner to leave Matthews clutching at thin air.

By now, Weymouth's defence was all at sea and it was no surprise when they shipped a third five minutes later.

Craig Reilly started and ended the move, sending Kilner away before steering home his drilled cross.

Claridge, by now fed up of watching from the bench, threw himself on to try and rescue the situation.

And within a minute of the restart the hosts pulled one back when Lindegaard was hauled down in the box by Hibburt.

Up stepped skipper Paul Buckle to give Wells no chance from the resulting penalty.

Weymouth, mainly through Claridge, continued pressing as the player-boss first crashed a header against the bar and then had a low drive blocked by Wells.

But the hosts nervy defending was still evident when a counter by Butler saw him streak clear of Kenway, who was put out of his misery when substituted shortly after, before firing in a low drive that Matthews turned away. With time running out, the Terras increased the pressure and it paid off when Claridge and Phillips exchanged passes for the former to fire home through a crowded box.

Claridge could even have won it with moments left but his close range header sailed just over.