Jackson restores pride for the Terras
by Matt Pitman

Monday January 3rd 2005

Kirk Jackson fired a second half equaliser to earn Weymouth a share of the spoils in the return Dorset derby at the Avenue Stadium.

The former Yeovil Town striker cancelled out Dorchester hot-shot Matt Groves' earlier effort to ensure the New Year's Day honours were even.

Terras boss Steve Johnson had called on his side to show passion following their embarrassing 4-1 Boxing Day defeat at the Avenue Stadium and he got what he asked for.

However, the ex-Latvian under-18 manager was left frustrated as he watched a host of gilt-edged chances go begging.

In the opposite dug-out, Magpies chief Mark Morris was happy with the point although he too watched his team waste opportunities to make it a memorable festive double.

The two goals, in a frantic nine minute second half spell, lit up what was otherwise a low key affair.

Strong gales and driving rain meant neither side managed much to satisfy any football purists in the bumper Radipole Lane crowd.

All eyes were on opposing keepers after Johnson drafted in ex-Worthing stopper Matthew May as cover and Morris handed former Terra Paul Myers a rare start after Craig Bradshaw cried off with flu.

Apart from a couple of shaky moments caused by the adverse conditions, both glovemen can be satisfied with their afternoon's work.

Weymouth, eager to turn the tables after that Boxing Day fiasco, almost answered their critics in perfect style within a minute of the start.

Stalwart midfielder Ian Hutchinson whipped over a pinpoint corner from the right for big defender Matt Bound to head inches over from six yards.

After that early scare, Dorchester were nearly handed a third minute lead on a plate.

May misjudged a wind-assisted through ball by Simon Radcliffe, allowing livewire Jamie Brown to nip in.

But the ex-BAT man could not convert from a tight angle and the alert Bound was on hand to clear off the line.

Things quitened down for a while after that as both sets of players struggled to come to terms with the conditions, meaning clear-cut chances were few and far between.

But the hosts did fashion a couple of openings, mainly through striker Lee Phillips who stooped low to head wide from Danny Byrne's cracking right wing cross.

Seconds before half time, Angolan Bernardo Cariata sent a thunderbolt crashing against Myer's bar from the edge of the box following Jackson's quick throw.

Set-pieces looked to be the most likely route for Weymouth and recalled Simon Browne flashed a header just wide from Byrne's corner just after the break.

Moments later Dorchester were grateful to Mark Jermyn for keeping them level when Bound powered another inch-perfect Byrne delivery goalwards.

Bound's header looked a goal all the way until the floppy-haired midfielder got a knee in the way to clear on the line.

COLLISION: Dorchester's Mark Robinson and Weymouth's Simon Browne go down after a clash of heads
Jermyn was in the thick of it at the other end on 59 minutes when his flicked header from Justin Keeler's deep free kick was parried by May into the path of Alex Browne.

But just as it looked like the Magpies skipper would net against his former club, May recovered to scoop the ball away.

Less than a minute later the visitors were celebrating when that man Groves struck yet again.

The ex-Portsmouth trainee latched on to a long clearance, held off the challenges of Bound and Browne before drawing a save from May.

But the alert striker latched on to the loose ball and coolly slotted home to put Dorchester ahead.

Party-pooper referee Paul Hutton was having none of Groves celebrating his strike with Magpies fans and booked him seconds later.

With Browne in sensational former in the heart of the visitors' defence, it was always going to take either a mistake or something special for Weymouth to get back in it.

And so it proved to be when they got back on terms just nine minutes later.

A breakdown in communication at the back involving keeper Myers, Browne and Radcliffe gifted possession to Jackson who took a couple of strides and gave the former Portland custodian no chance.

Suddenly it was game on again for the hosts who ploughed players forward in a bid to win it.

But despite enjoying much of the possession, they struggled to find a way past Browne and company.

And it was Morris's men who came closest to securing local bragging rights during the nervy closing stages.

Joseba Barandiaran, one of four ex-Terras in the visitors starting line up, fired just over and substitute Gareth Keeping headed tamely at May after Groves wriggled free down the right.

Brown, the man who Terras fans love to hate after his double sending off against them last season, was again the centre of attention for the wrong reasons in closing stages.

The tough-tackling midfield general slid in late on keeper Mat, but escaped a booking from referee Hutton.

The man in black was soon blowing up for full time, sending visiting fans home happy and Terras supporters pondering what might have been.

Weymouth : Matthew May, Steve Tully, Simon Browne, Matty Bound, Roy O'Brien, Bernardo Cariata, Danny Byrne, Rob Traynor, Ian Hutchinson, Kirk Jackson, Danny Byrne, Lee Phillips

Subs : Kieren Keene, Marky Boyce (for Byrne 75mins), Charlie Welch, Ryan Hill, Simon Evans

Dorchester Town : Paul Myers, Anthony Griffin, Simon Radcliffe, Graig Middleton, Alex Browne, Mark Jermyn, Mark Robinson, Justin Keeler, Jamie Brown, Matt Groves, Joseba Barandiaran

Subs : Diogo Andrade, Warren Byerley, Gareth Keeping (for Barandiaran 88mins, Steve Llewelyn, David Santos (for Radcliffe 75mins)

Referee : Paul Hutton (Plymouth)

Bookings :

Weymouth : O'Brien (foul) 69mins

Dorchester Town : Groves (over celebrating) 60mins