Unbeaten Terras left frustrated by stalemate
By Nigel Biddlecombe

Monday 1st October 2005

WEYMOUTH continued their unbeaten run with a battling Conference South stalemate at Maidenhead United.

The Terras are now six games without defeat but Garry Hill's men will be disappointed they left York Road with just the one point.

The visitors, who took to the field in pink shirts which are helping raise money for breast cancer, made a number of changes from the midweek FA Cup win over Weston-super-Mare.

Kirk Jackson and Brian Dutton were absent through injury with Chukki Eribenne and Soloman Taiwo taking their places:

Steve Clark was relegated to the substitutes' bench, Lee Elam was given his Terras debut and Dave Waterman was a welcome addition to the bench, returning after a long absence.

In the opening minutes the home side won two corners in succession, but failed to trouble Jason
Matthews.

This early scare was the wake-up call Weymouth needed and they began to assert themselves; Tony Taggart crossed for Wayne Purser only for the striker to shoot wide, and Andy Harris and Eribenne combined to force Paul Mcarthy into saving at the feet of Eribenne.

Matthews was called upon to make his first save in the 10th minute when ex-Terra Robbie Traynor rode two tackles and the visiting keeper had to save at his feet.

Steve Tully was causing problems down the right flank and he set up three chances in a three-minute period, but Hill's side were unable to make them
count.

Firstly Bryan Smith robbed Eribenne just as the former Havant striker was about to shoot, then Tully fed Taggart whose cross was headed wide by Roy O'Brien.

Moments later O'Brien fired wide after Taggart's cross.

Weymouth were in the ascendancy with the home side relying on breakaways to cause problems in the visitors defence - Nanu Badu had a couple of chances, but both were saved by Matthews.

Weymouth started brightly in the second half as Harris fed Taggart from a free kick, but his shot hit Dominic White and went for a corner.

From the kick Purser found Elam whose shot was also deflected.

Harris took the third corner kick inside a minute and Eribenne jumped like a salmon to connect with his head, but the effort went wide.

Harris and Taggart both had chances in the next few minutes, but neither could find the goal Weymouth - and the match - desperately needed. Hill replaced Taiwo and Elam midway through the half in a bid to find a winner.

But while there was plenty of action in the final half an hour, neither keeper was seriously tested as the match fizzled out.

Maidenhead felt hard done by on 75 minutes when Kwakye's shot appeared to be stopped by a Weymouth hand, but the referee ignored their appeals.

Hill made his final move when he withdrew Purser two minutes later bringing on Dan Webb for his first game since August 29.

The Terras nearly won it when substitute Shaun Wilkinson picked up a poor clearance and hit a shot from 30 yards that looked about to break the dead-
lock as Mcarthy was beaten, but Smith got back to deflect the effort for a corner.

Two minutes later Steve Tully was forced to head over his own crossbar as Smith caused problems and sent over a dangerous cross.

With time running out, the Berkshire strugglers nearly nicked it.

Matt Glynn hit the upright from distance and then Elsegood's free kick found the striker whose goalbound drive hit Hughes and rebounded clear.