Terras on the title trails
By Matt Pitman

Monday 23rd January 2006

SUBSTITUTE Kirk Jackson ended his 14-game goal drought and moved Weymouth one step closer to the Conference South title.

The striker came off the bench to fire home from Lee Elam's cross and end plucky Histon's resistance at the Wessex Stadium.

The former Yeovil Town star couldn't have picked a better time to stop the rot, his 73rd minute effort was the Terras first shot on target in a turgid contest.

Jackson's relief at finally scoring was clear for all to see as the popular frontman's team-mates mobbed the scorer in celebration.

Even coach Kevin Hales sprinted 40 yards along the touchline to congratulate the scorer as he returned to the centre circle following the long-awaited goal.

Weymouth hardly hit the heights in extending their unbeaten home league record, but despite that there was more good news come the final whistle.

Title rivals St Albans City slipped up at Bognor Regis to leave Garry Hill's men well and truly in the box-seat for promotion.

With midfielder Andy Harris missing his first league game this season through
a one-match ban, new signing Ben Smith debuted for the hosts and showed glimpses of why boss Hill had tracked him for so long.

For much of this flat affair, Weymouth were grateful to sterling defensive play in guiding them to a third straight clean-sheet.

Central to the win was the form of centre half Roy O'Brien who again performed
magnificently alongside skipper Matt Bound.

Jackson's winner aside, chances were few and far between throughout this low-
key contest.

Early on the game briefly threatened to spark into life when Histon defender

Ruscoe Hipperson shrugged off Chukki Eribenne as the striker threatened to shoot.

Most eyes were on new boy Smith who provided some rare early quality with a peach of a pass to striker Craig O'Connor before lashing a 20-yard free kick over
moments later.

The visitors were recently on the wrong end of a five-goal thumping by Weymouth's title rivals St Albans but rarely showed signs of those defensive failings.

In fact, the Cambridgeshire outfit created the best chances of the opening period despite suffering a double injury blow inside the first 30 minutes.

The Stutes, whose saw Hipperson and Steve Jackman limp off, were almost
gifted an opener when confusion between Matthews and Steve Tully in the hosts defence nearly let in lurking Ian Cambridge.

Hill's league leaders were finding life hard going but there was a brief flurry in the visitors' final third as the interval approached.

Some Elam trickery down the right led to the winger crossing for O'Connor but the striker dallied in possession allowing Erkan Okay to clear.

Midfield pair Smith and Shaun Wilkinson then started the move which saw John McGrath break down the left and release Eribenne.

The Terras top scorer seemed to have done the hard work by turning Okay but failed to trouble Key with his tame effort. With the Histon defence rocking, Smith was next to try his luck following another Elam centre but lofted his shot out of the ground at the Wessex's car park end.

The pretty dire opening period ended with much-needed excitement but it was Histon, on their first ever visit to the Radipole Lane venue, who provided it.

Adrian Cambridge's long-throw caused problems for Terras defender Trevor Challis and the ball fell for Jamie Barker whose close range shot clipped the outside of Matthews' near post.

Barker was at it again seconds after the restart when his first-time volley was watched fly wide by an anxious Matthews, before Ian Cambridge's went close with a 20-yard chip.

Weymouth were reliant on some strong defending by Bound and particular the
impressive O'Brien to prevent them falling behind.

Any newcomers at the Wessex must have wondered how the Terras had scored
enough to head the table, especially with so many long balls forward.

Eribenne and O'Connor just didn't look like they had a goal in them, although to be fair to the strike duo they received minimal service to say the least.

Hill waited 62 minutes before replacing the ineffective O'Connor with substitute Kirk Jackson.

If ever there was a time for the former Yeovil Town star to end his streak without a goal, this was it.

Jackson's introduction immediately sparked the Terras into life and they nearly went ahead when Smith stole in to head over from McGrath's inswinging corner on 65 minutes.

Elam and Eribenne then combined to set up Jackson 25-yards whose well-struck shot flew high and wide.

Wilkinson was off target from a similar position moments later as Weymouth began to take a stranglehold on the contest.

But with Histon now content to sit back and try and claim a point, the clear-cut chances remained few and far between. The unlucky Jackson's fortunes were summed up when he was found centrally by Tully's cross.

The striker opted to head down for Eribenne who was six yards out but watched in agony as the ball rolled inches past his strike partner.

Jackson must have wondered when his run was going to end but on 73 minutes the wait was finally over.

McGrath's cross from the left picked out Elam at the far post who crashed the ball across the area for Jackson to sweetly volley home from eight yards.

It was Weymouth's first shot on target in the game and prompted wild celebrations among the Terras players.

Having finally ended the drought, Jackson nearly grabbed a second seconds later with a speculative drive following Eribenne's knock-down.

The tiring Smith was withdrawn for defender Simon Downer with six minutes left
as the Terras tried to shore things up at the back.

Another Jackson header was comfortably saved by Key with seconds left before Histon's last throw of the dice saw Ian Cambridge's first-time shot drift wide.