Harris leads Terras
By Matt Pitman

Monday 16th January 2006

MIDFIELD general Andy Harris led Weymouth's charge back to the Conference South summit.

The ever-present former Liverpool trainee blasted a first half cracker as the Terras secured victory over ten-man Eastleigh in a bruising south coast derby.

Winger John McGrath sealed the points with a goal on his home debut at the Wessex Stadium.

But the success, which saw Garry Hill's men open up a three-point lead over title rivals St Albans City, came at a cost.

Defender Trevor Challis required four stitches in a head wound following a sickening second half clash of heads with visiting skipper Danny Smith.

For his part, the patched Eastleigh midfielder needed 14 stitches to stem the blood-flow from the wound.

Apart from the injuries, talking points were few and far between. Much of the action was scrappy but like so often this season Hill's title-chasers did enough to earn victory.

The game was all over as a contest by the interval by which time Weymouth, without ill pair Chukki Eribenne and Darren Wheeler, were two goals to the good.

Harris drilled home a right-footed free kick from 20 yards before the impressive McGrath scored on the stroke of half-time with the aid of an upright.

There was no way back for Eastleigh- whose quartet of former Terras, David Hughes, Bradley Thomas, Ryan Ashford and Danny Byrne, endured a miserable return to their old club.

The game opened with a touch of comedy from larger-than-life Eastleigh keeper Wayne Shaw. Following light-hearted `sumo' chants from home supporters, the
portly goalie responded to the banter by squatting like a Japanese wrestler.

Early on the Hampshire visitors forced a couple of corners and could have gone ahead after eight minutes.

Ashford's well-flighted cross from deep found Andy Forbes who steered the ball back across goal but Stuart Douglas couldn't convert from six yards.

The early stages were scrappy and littered with free kicks but it was Weymouth who began to take a stranglehold.

Home fans got an early taste of McGrath's undoubted ability when his lovely reverse pass on 16 minutes released O'Connor inside the area.

His initial shot was parried by Shaw back into the striker's path only to again be denied by a smart save from the visiting keeper.

Less than a minute later the Terras deservedly went ahead courtesy of another peach of a goal by Harris. After winger Lee Elam was tripped by Danny Smith 20 yards out, the midfielder struck the resulting free kick cleanly past helpless Shaw. Whistle-happy referee Carl Williams drew fury from both sets of supporters by seemingly blowing up every time contact was made.

All the chances were going Weymouth's way as Roy O'Brien surged forward from his holding midfield role to find McGrath whose low shot was blocked by Shaw.

Critics of the Terras have claimed Hill's side rely too often rely on Elam for creativity but McGrath was also a big danger before the break.

The former Aston Villa youngster and team-mate O'Connor nearly doubled the hosts advantage but couldn't force home in a congested Eastleigh area on the half hour.

The visitors, for whom Ashford was pulling the strings, won plenty of corners following some decent counter-attacking but rarely tested home keeper Jason Matthews.

And with virtually the last kick before the interval, the Terras effectively ensured they had the points in the bag.

McGrath beat visiting full-back Jack Smith to possession 25-yards out before drilling a low drive that Shaw found too hot to handle, with the ball going in off an upright.

With Downer complaining of illness, Hill was prompted into a tactical reshuffle at the interval.

O'Brien moved back to his usual centre half role alongside skipper Matt Bound, with substitute Shaun Wilkinson on in midfield.

And the shake-up seemed to throw the Radipole Lane outfit off course as Eastleigh came out all guns blazing.

Substitute Dave Town wasted two golden opportunities to haul Paul Doswell's team back into the match inside ten minutes of the restart.

The former Dorchester Town attacker had Matthews scrambling with a first-time shot from Ashford's cross, then the same pair combined moments later.

The winger sent Town away behind last-man O'Brien with a peach of a ball but the striker's early shot flew inches past the post.

Then came the sickening clash of heads between Challis and Smith as they contested a header in midfield. Play was held up for six minutes as medical staff attended the players who lay motionless on the turf.

Both men were bleeding heavily as they were carried off but fortunately the injuries were later deemed less serious than first feared.

Chances were few and far between after that - Eastleigh's Forbes was denied at close range by Matthews, while Kirk Jackson was off target at the other end.

Eastleigh's misery was compounded four minutes from time when defender Martin Thomas received his marching orders following his second booking for dissent.

His early exit allowed Weymouth to exploit space in the final third and they could easily have extended their winning margin but for a couple of wonder-saves by Shaw in the closing moments.

The charismatic shot-stopper pulled off a superb reaction save to prevent Jackson from ending his 14-game scoring drought, then flung himself across goal to save O'Brien's powerful header.

Weymouth's final chance fell to substitute Steve Clark in stoppage time but the winger was wildly off target from close range.