Terras rocked by strugglers
By Nigel Biddlecombe

Monday 31st January 2006

CONFERENCE South strugglers Carshalton Athletic stunned leaders Weymouth in this top-versus-bottom clash at Colston Avenue. Garry Hill's Terras dominated
much of a one-sided contest but paid the price for poor finishing in freezing conditions.

The hosts came from behind to achieve only their third league success of the season despite appearing down and out for long periods.

Midfielder Ben Smith fired the Dorset visitors into a second half lead but Hill's team again had a frustrating afternoon in front of goal.

Weymouth created enough chances to have won half a dozen matches although despite enjoying a hatful of openings, only ex-Shrewsbury star Smith hit the target.

The committed Robins showed the Terras how it's done by scoring twice in the last 13 minutes to claim three much-needed points in their fight against relegation.

Weymouth gave a debut to new loan striker Raphael Nade, signed for a month from Carlisle United, but the Frenchman's introduction did nothing to solve the Terras goalscoring problems.

The story of the game was summed up in the opening ten minutes when the visitors should have gone ahead but wasteful finishing prevented them from doing so.

Winger Lee Elam linked up well with Smith whose dummy rolled kindly for Chukki Eribenne but the striker was denied by home keeper Adam Federici's legs.

The league leaders dominated possession but, like so often this season, struggled to turn their pressure into goals.

John McGrath and Elam then combined for the latter to fire wide, before McGrath himself drilled a shot over Federici's bar midway through the half.

Weymouth were forcing the issue, a fact underlined by their half-time corner total running into double figures, and the openings continued to arrive before the break.

After making good ground down the right, Elam found Steve Tully in the area but Federici dived low at the defender's feet to smother.

Carshalton were struggling to make much impact although midfiIder Mark Marshall did cause a few problems for the Terras.

One of those came when his well-struck shot flew just over the bar of visiting keeper Jason Matthews who was making his 200th appearance for the Dorset side.

Before the break, McGrath and Eribenne again both should have put the Terras ahead.

The Irish winger headed wide then failed to convert following Nade's cross and Eribenne failed to take advantage from six-yards following McGrath's cross.

The first goal for Weymouth, who survived an ambitious effort from Craig Dundas, seemed a matter of when rather than if as Eribenne and Smith wasted further openings.

Then, on 64 minutes, Elam's low cross from the right was helped on by Eribenne to McGrath who seemed to have a simple job of pok-ing home from close range.

But the winger got it all wrong and put his effort the wrong side of Federici's post from only six-yards out

However, the visiting fans only had to wait another four minutes before Weymouth's opener finally arrived. Some nice build-up play between Elam and Eribenne led to Smith racing through and coolly slotting home.

A goal to the good, a straight forward away victory now seemed on the cards for Hill's men.

But Carshalton hadn't read the script and hit back with a display in the final quarter that belied their position at the bottom of the table.

The equaliser, arriving with 13 minutes left, saw Dundas neatly turned past defender Roy 0'Brien before giving Matthews no chance.

Then, with the league leaders seemingly in shock, disaster

The equaliser, arriving with 13 minutes left, saw Dundas neatly turned past defender Roy 0'Brien before giving Matthews no chance.

Then, with the league leaders seemingly in shock, disaster struck just two minutes later.

After Tully committed a yards out, up stepped Matt Fowler to curl the resulting free kick the wall and past a beleaguered Matthews.

Hill reacted to the setback by makining a double substitution, throwing on strikers Kirk Jackson and Graig O'Connor; in a bid to salvage a point.

But despite plenty of pressure, they could not find a way past a determined Robins rearguard.

Substitute O'Connor went close following Matt Bound's throw in and Elam's point-black range shot was blocked by Federici's face.