Matt's on the spot for Terras
By Nigel Biddlecombe

Monday 13th February 2006

CHAMPIONS-elect Weymouth produced another dominant display at Eastbourne Borough to bag yet another three points.

Second half goals from skipper Matt Bound, a penalty, and winger John McGrathsecured a comfortable win at Priory Lane.

With title rivals Havant and Waterlooville suffering a shock defeat at Maidenhead, St Albans City now seem the Terras main rivals for the title.

Garry Hill's men remain six points clear following this victory which never really looked in doubt against the Sussex strugglers.

On a bumpy playing surface, Weymouth bossed possession and once again created enough chances to have put the game beyond doubt far earlier than they did.

With former Wimbledon and Bolton Wanderers star Dean Holdsworth watching on, the Terras started brightly and nearly went ahead inside the first minute.

Midfielder Ben Smith set up loan striker Raphael Nade but the Carlisle United asset fired his shot over Borough keeper Lee Hook's goal.

The leggy striker was then denied by a decent challenge by home defender Stuart Tuck, before his header from Steve Tully's cross lacked power.

Tully, making his 200th appearance for Weymouth just a day after his 26th birthday, impressed in the Terras rearguard particularly when he made a goal-saving tackle to deny Lee Newman as the Eastbourne striker broke through.

Like against Maidenhead the previous week, the Dorset full-timers enjoyed the better openings for the remainder of the opening half.

Winger Lee Elam wasted a great chance after 17 minutes when he latched on to McGrath's free kick, only to lash over from eight yards out.

The recalled Trevor Challis, back following a one-match ban, then combined with McGrath and Smith to set up Nade but the striker again failed to hit the target before Smith was denied by one-time Terras target Hook.

Eastbourne, who were forced to wait 88 minutes before severely testing the under-worked Matthews, put together a decent move as the half drew to an end.

Matt Smart, Newman, Mark Green and Anthony Storey exchanged passes to release Tuck in the inside right channel but just as the veteran appeared set to shoot, in dived the alert Challis to dispossess the defender.

Borough's lack of serious attacking threat was summed up when Storey's free kick, easily saved by Matthews, registered only their first shot on target just before the break.

After the interval, it was a similar story as Weymouth pressed with Nade and Jackson having headers go close minutes after the restart.

With Eastbourne being forced to play on the counter, the away side pushed on looking for the first goal and it nearly arrived when Jackson flicked on Elam's cross for McGrath to pick up in space but Hook was equal to the effort.

Weymouth's deserved opener finally came on 58 minutes, although it owed much to a mixup in the home side's defence.

Darren Baker and Smart dallied in possession, inside their own area, allowing Jackson to steal possession only to be brought down by Smart.

Referee Ford pointed to the spot and skipper Bound stepped up to coolly send Hook the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

A goal to the good, the pressure was now off the visitors and they never looked like letting the lead slip.

Indeed, Hill's side continued to make all the running as after a flurry of three successive corners, Nade fired wide following McGrath's accurate freekick.

Nade must have been wondering what he had to do to find the net when he latched on to Elam's through ball, only for Hook to block at point-blank range with his feet.

But with 15 minutes left, the Terras deservedly made the points safe with a second goal.

Tully put Elam away down the right, the winger's cross eventually fell to Nade who set up McGrath 20-yards out and his shot deflected off Austin and into Hook's net.

With the game safe, Hill made a couple of substitutions to tighten things up and one of the replacements, Craig O'Connor, nearly grabbed a third following another excellent Elam cross.

There was still time for visiting keeper Matthews to cope with the first serious effort on his goal all afternoon.

Joe Keehan's cross was met by a thumping header from fellow substitute Louis Fazackerly but Matthews brilliantly dived low to his near post and turned the ball behind for a corner.