City slickers strike back to
deny Terras
by Matt Pitman
Wednesday 10th August 2004
Slick Winchester City came from behind to defeat Weymouth in
their final pre-season friendly last night.
The impressive hosts hit back at a soggy City Ground after trialist
and
ex-Dorchester Town striker Dan Cann fired the under strength
Terras into an early lead.
Jamie Laidlaw, Lloyd Webber and Ian Mancey were on target for
the FA Vase holders as Winchester cruised to victory.
Abd but for an impressive showing by Weymouth 16-year old keeper
Simon Evans, the Wessex League champions would have netted more.
Terras boss Steve Claridge expressed relief his side's arm up
is over and admitted the season opener with Cambridge City this
Saturday cannot come soon enough.
He said. "Winchester looked very lively side and I can
see why they have had yje success they have had.
"Although it was another good work-out tonight, I can't
wait to start the season now.
"Iv'e learned a few things both tonight and over pre-season
in general but now we've got to start putting all that into
practise when the real work starts on Saturday."
Weymouth, fielding a side virtually unrecongnisable from the
one likely to start at the weekend, started well.
They had an early scare as Evans saved well from midfielder
Mark Smith, but soon got a foothold in the game.
The visitors opened the scoring on 15 minutes when Cann, who
spent the tails end of last season with the Magpies, got on
the end of Shaun Wilkinson's curling free kick.
The former Bournemouth youngster chested down the cross and
fired past Winchester keeper Simon Arthur from close range.
Cann showed a few decent touches after that without threating
a great deal, while young right back Steve Orchard impressed
at the other end.
The hosts - who had former Terra Darren Powell in defence -
picked up the pace and Evans had to be equal to Laidlaw' cushioned
volley.
But the teenage gloveman could do nothing to stop Laidlaw five
minutes before the break, when he headed home Matt Bicknell's
cross from deep.
Seconds before the interval Wilkinson came close to restoring
the lead for Weymouth, prodding wide from close ranger after
a neat interchange between Cann, Martin Underhay and Ian Hutchinson.
With driving rain pouring down, Winchester turned the screw
after the break.
They showed no ill effects from the departures of star pair
Andy Forbes and Danny Smith and took the lead on 55 minutes
with an absolute corker.
Liam Green's corner fell invitingly to Lloyd Webber who cracked
an unstoppable drive into Evans' top corner from 25 yards.
Wilkinson and Simon Browne both received bookings from referee
Andy Laver as things threatened to spill over midway through
the second period.
Winchester made the game safe with a quater of an hour left.
Full back Adam Rogers skinned Browne, teed up Laidlaw whose
cross spun off Jamie Impey for Mancey to loop a header just
under the bar.
Weymouth tried in vain to get one back but offered little late
on, although Browne headed over from Wilkinson's corner.
Rogers almost made it four with seconds left and there was still
time for Evans to boost his blossoming reputation with a brilliant
reflex save from Jamie Musselwhite's header.
Weymouth: Evans, Orchard,
Browne, Barlow, Impey, Bound, Wilkinson, Hutchinson, Cann, Charles,
Underhay (Pethick 62 mins). Subs Buckle, Tully, Gibbs, Matthews,
Walker
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