Terras defensive frailties exposed on opening day
by Matt Pitman

Monday August 16th 2004

Cambridge City condemned lacklustre Weymouth to a shock opening day defeat at the Wessex Stadium.

The Nationwide South second favourites failed to live up to their pre-season beilling as Michael Gash and Dave Sadler secured the first maximum haul of the season fro the visitors.

It had all looked so good for the Terras when defender Matt Bound thumped home a free kick just seconds in.

But Steve Claridge's side soon fell apart and were left cursing defensive errors yet again.

For all the new blood arriving at Radipole Lane over the summer, home fans suffered the same old story.

Shaky defensive play again cost them dear, just as id did last season when the Terras title challenge came off the rails.

But it was not just Weymouth's rearguard who suffered a bad day at the office.

With Steve Tully unusually quiet down the right wing and Lee Philpott drifting in from the opposite flank, the Terras lacked any real width and rarely looked like getting back in it.

Only substitute Chukki Eribenne came close to rescuing them a point which would have been an injustice to Gary Roberts' impressive visitors.

Claridge sprung a surprise with his starting line up, preferring Shaun Wilkinson to the dependable Martin Barlow or Ian Hutchinson.

That decision looked to have paid off when the hosts got their season off to the flyer just 90 seconds in.

Claridge was bundled to the ground on the edge of the visitor's box by defender Lee Chaffey.

From the resulting free kick, Philpott set up Bound to crack home a left foot drive past the helpless Duncan Roberts.

The former Oxford defender's strike was met with an ironic chant of 'We are top of the league' from the home faithful.

Little did they know what was to follow, although in the opening 15 minutes it seemed like Weymouth would run riot.

Bound's defensive partner Dave Waterman almost made it two, steaming in on the end of Charles' corner to nod wide.

Then a stretching Claridge just failed to collect Wilkinson's cushioned through ball.

Cambridge lost veteran striker Paul Fewings to a leg injuruy midway through the opening period.

But his replacement Michael Gash made up for that blow with style on 26 minutes.

Terras keeper Jason Matthews hardly had to break a sweat before he was picking th ball out of his net.

Has ghosted in to get on the end of Sam Swonnell's flick from Richard Scott's chipped free kick and game Matthews no chance.

That set back seemed to knock the stuffing out of the hosts as Cambridge cut through the middle third at will.

City striker Sadler had a half decent shout for a penalty turned down after getting the wrong side of Tully, while seconds later the same player spooned wide from close range.

The Terras had another scare on 36 minutes when a cheeky cross-cum-shot from Lee Chaffey drifted on the top of Matthews' bar as the keeper desperately back-pedalled.

Things continued in a similar vein after the break as Matthews saved well from Sam Swonnell and Saddler headed wide from close range.

With the home side becoming increasingly frustrated, midfielder Charles was sacrificed for Eribenne as Weymouth shifted to a 4-3-3 formation.

That left them even more exposed down the flanks and it took Cambridge just two minutes to take advantage.

Left back Paul Gibbs was outnumbered as Graig Pope and Carl Williams set up Swonnell to cross for Sadler to turn home at the far post.

The hosts threw caution to the wind in the closing stages in a desperate bid to salvage a point.

And how Eribenne failed to do that on 75 minutes will remain one of life;s great mysteries.

Tully, Claridge and Gibbs combined to cause confusion in the visiting box and set up Eribenne six yards out.

His initial header was saved by the alert Roberts, only for the rebound to fall to the big striker again whose follow-up was kept out by a combination of the City keeper, desperate defending and the woodwork.

Weymouth wasted another golden chance with the minutes ticking away when Eribenne drew Roberts from his line.

He chipped for Philpott who looked odds on to nod an equaliser from close range.

But the veteran was only able to head straight at defender Chaffey on the line and the opportunity went begging.

Weymouth: Jason Matthews, Steve Tully, Paul Gibbs, Shaun Wilkinson, Matt Bound, Dave Waterman, Paul Buckle, Lee Charles, Steve Claridge, Lee Philpott, Lee Phillips.

Subs: Chukki Eribenne (for Charles 66mins), Martin Barlow (for Wilkinson 58mins), Nathan Bunce, Robbie Pethick, Ian Hutchinson.

Cambridge City: Duncan Roberts, Graig Pope, Lee Chaffey, Glenn Fuff, Matt Langston, Richard Scott, Robert Miller, Sam Swonnell, David Saddler, Paul Fewings, Carl Williams.

Subs: Michael Gash (for Fewings 20mins), Lee Summerscales, Tom Pell, Marcus Hering, Alan Calton.

Referee: Alfonzo Field (Chesham)

Bookings:

Weymouth: none

Cambridge City: none