Terras pay the penalty
By Matt Pitman

Wednesday 15th March 2006

RAPHAEL Nade extended his superb scoring run but titlechasing Terras were pegged back by battling Basingstoke Town last night.

Another routine Conference South win looked on the cards for Weymouth when the loan striker crashed home a tenth minute header at the Wessex Stadium.

But despite the Carlisle United asset's seventh goal in his last five appearances, the visitors hit back through Miquel Basualdo's penalty to earn a point.

Garry Hill's league leaders now enjoy a five-point lead over nearest rivals St Albans City with eight games remaining.

While many home fans will be disappointed with a draw, their side were only inches away from suffering a second home defeat in three outings.

Having dominated possession, the hosts were grateful to keeper Jason Matthews for keeping out 'Stoke striker Pablo Pedrotti's last-minute audacious chip.

A defeat would have been rough justice on Terras who enjoyed long spells in control of the contest but could not find a way through a packed visitors' defence.

Having conceded 11 goals in the last three league outings, Basingstoke must have been fearing the worst from their, trip to Hill's runaway league leaders.

And the form-book looked like being followed early on as Weymouth went ahead with their first effort of the night.

Steve Clark began the move 30 yards out, combining with midfield colleague Ben Smith and Trevor Challis who in turn found the rejuvenated Clark again down the left.

The former West Ham United trainee whipped over a superb cross to the near post for Nade to power home his header.

It was nearly two for the title-chasing Terras seconds after the restart when Andy Harris touched a free kick off to skipper Matt Bound whose stinging effort was turned away by visiting keeper Stuart Searle.

Weymouth were rampant in the early stages with Hill's full-timers crisp passing in the final third meaning the Hampshire visitors barely had a look in.

With midfielder Shaun Wilkinson whipping in some dangerous crosses, a second Terras goal looked only a matter of time.

Jackson stooped to head wide, before Harris's spectacular over-head kick looped past Searle's goal.

But the visitors stunned the home crowd with a shock equaliser on 35 minutes with what was their first serious attacking move.

James Taylor, a scurge of Terras in years gone by when, with Bashley and Havant and Waterlooville, sent Pablo Pedrotti clear, only for home keeper Jason Matthews to send the striker tumbling to the turf.

Referee Paul Norman pointed to the spot to howls of disgust from home fans, but Matthews escaped further punishment, probably owing to Pedrotti running away from goal.

Miquel Basualdo made Matthews pay by hammering the resulting penalty home for the equaliser.

The setback rocked Weymouth who struggled for the remainder of the opening half.

That was in evidence when Matthews crashed a nervy clearance against skipper Bound, only to breath a sigh of relief when the ball trickled wide rather than into the unguarded net.

Then from David Ray's corner from the right, Steve Hemmings lashed a volley goalwards from eight yards which Matthews smartly saved.

The half-time break probably came at just the right time for Weymouth who opened strongly after the restart, pressurising a packed Basingstoke defence.

But Nade, Jackson and company just could not find a way through a packed Basingstoke rearguard which was often a sea of blue and yellow shirts.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between as Harris's 20-yard effort was easily smothered by the visitors' defence.

Basingstoke suffered a blow when defender Matthew Ruby was stretchered off with a knee injury - suffered in an accidental collision with Jackson as the striker carried out an overhead kick.

Nade looked Weymouth's best hope for a second goal, but his downward header and weak shot after cutting in from the left failed to trouble Searle.

Try as they might, Terras just couldn't find a way through as the increasingly frustrated Jackson and Nade both had shots blocked and Tully had a couple of belters from distance go close.

Hill swapped his two wingers to try and muster the winner, replacing Wilkinson and Clark with Lee Elam and John McGrath.

The final throw of the dice came with the introduction of Dean Holdsworth but not even the former Premiership striker could conjur up the clincher.

With a couple of minutes left, many home fans thought their side had snatched the points when Bound's header looped over.

But for all their pressure, disaster nearly hit Hill's men in stoppage time as Pedrotti's audacious chip forced the back-pedalling Matthews to push away from under his own bar.