Jackson on song in Terras thriller show
by Matt Pitman

Tuesday January 4th 2005

KIRK Jackson is fast becoming a hero' among fans at the Wessex Stadium.

The powerful striker netted a double to see off Hayes yesterday and continue his
fine start to 2005.

Jackson's brace made it seven in ten games since moving from Hornchurch and capped a virtuoso performance by the former Yeovil Town star.

Substitute Danny Byrne secured the points for the Terras with a stunning late free kick.

Until then the home side had been hanging on by a thread as Hayes pressed for an equaliser.

But it was Steve Johnson's young guns who held on for a win achieved with plenty of spirit and fight.

Key to that was industrious debutant Kieran Keene who took no prisoners in midfield and never allowed the Middlesex side to get into any rhythm.

Dangerman Jackson continued where he left off against Dorchester on New Year's Day and just 57 seconds were on the clock when he got himself on the scoresheet again.

The bustling centre forward, who was key to everything the hosts did, latched on to Lee Phillips' perfect knock down from Matt Bound's early ball and made no mistake.

The impressive targetman was the hero at the other end moments later when he bravely headed Mark Moseley's cross away from under his own bar.

With Keene a bundle of energy in midfield, the hosts continued to press.

Phillip warmed the hands of Hayes keeper Kevin Davies with a stinging drive before Bernardo Cariata sent a screamer flashing inches wide.

Hayes were finding life tough and almost went two down on 18 minutes when Jackson whipped over a superb cross for Crawley loanee Robert Traynor but his header was clawed away by Davies.

After that early pounding, Hayes gradually started to get back into it with blond wingers Moseley and Stuart Tanfield looking lively.

Home keeper Jason Matthews, back between the sticks following a two-match suspension, saved well from Adam Everitt before Molesley drilled over.

Weymouth should have gone two up on 41 minutes when Keene's outrageous disguised pass released Tully down the right.

The defender's drilled cross found Cariata at the near post but the Angolan international blazed over from close range.

It took a couple of pieces of alert defending from O'Brien to keep the Terras ahead at the interval.

First the Irish centre half, who came off at the break with an ankle knock, cleared Moseley's drive off the line with striker Kieran Knight lurking close by.

Then when Knight rounded the exposed Matthews, O'Brien got back just in the nick of time to clear just when an equaliser looked on the cards.

The players had longer than usual for their half time cuppas when assistant referee Christopher Powell cried off at the interval with a hamstring injury and was replaced by local official Calvin Day.

Boyce, who was later replaced by Danny Byrne, scraped the bar with an angled drive after the restart and Phillips also went close as Johnson's men looked for a second.

The visitors threatened to get back on terms when substitute Josh Scott brought the best out of the Matthews.

But after a few nervy moments at the back for the Terras, it was inevitably Jackson who eased the pressure on 66 minutes.

He stooped low to head home after latching on to Cariata's flick from Keene's driven free kick from the right.

A comfortable home win looked on the cards but Hayes threw a spanner in the works with 15 minutes left when Terras substitute Simon Browne went from hero to villain in the space of seconds.

After blocking well from Knight, the defender tripped the same player just inside the box to concede a clear spot-kick.

Up stepped Scott to coolly slot home and suddenly Willy Wordsworth's men were back in it.

The visitors threw everything but the kitchen sink at it in an effort to get an equaliser.

Matthews saved at point blank range from Scott and substitute Shaun McAuley wasted a golden opportunity when he missed his kick with an open goal.

Things turned fiery in the closing stages as referee William Bull lost control and issued more cards in quick succession than a Christmas postman.

Hayes' Everitt could count himself lucky only to get yellow for shoving stand-in assistant Day during a late melee.

But once things calmed down, Byrne sensa- tionally curled a right-footed 25-yard free kick past Davies to make things safe for the Terras.

Weymouth : Jason Matthews, Steve Tully, Charlie Welch, Matt Bound, Roy O'Brien, Bernardo Cariata, Danny Byrne, Rob Traynor, Kieren Keene, Kirk Jackson, Mark Boyce, Lee Phillips

Subs : Danny Byrne (for Boyce 52mins), Ian Hutchinson (for Cariata 72mins), Simon Browne (for O'Brien 45mins), Ryan Hill, Simon Evans

Hayes : Kevin Davies, Stuart Goodall, Adam Everitt, Yiadom Yobah, Matty Gray, Peter Collins, Stuart Tanfield, Mark Molesley, David Warner, Kieran Knight, Kevin Warner

Subs : Peter Dean (for Tanfield 62mins), Josh Scott (for Warner 62mins), Rob Bixby, Shaun McAuley (for Warner 76mins), Michael Watkins

Referee : William Bull (Southampton)

Bookings :

Weymouth : Traynor (foul) 13, Tully (foul) 87, Byrne (foul) 89

Hayes : Collins (foul) 22, Warner (foul) 65, Scott (foul) 81, Yeboah (dissent 86, Everitt (diving) 88