Quickfire double sets up Terras
By Nigel Biddlecombe

Monday 13th Match 2006

WEYMOUTH'S Conference South title chase continued with a comfortable win at Sutton United.

Garry Hill's table-toppers overcame stubborn resistance from the hosts, a poor Gander Green Lane pitch and an erratic performance from the officials to register the points.

Boss Hill stuck to the same starting line up for the fourth match in succession, although Roy Q'Brien returned to the squad on the bench.

Sutton showed their attacking intentions early as Lewis Gonsalves, Glen Boosey and Eddie Akuamoah combined to create a chance for Mark Watson who shot wide.

Rome goalkeeper and exTerras triallist Carl Emberson was called into action two minutes later when he had to move quickly to save at the feet of Ben Smith.

In the eighth minute Kirk Jackson hit a snap shot, on the turn, which Emberson was forced to back pedal to clasp the ball under the crossbar.

The game flowed from end to end and both goalkeepers were kept on their toes, Jason Matthews saving from Akuamoan and Steve Douglas, while Emerson produced a fine save to palm Smith's 30-yard dipping volley over the top.

Weymouth's Shaun Wilkinson then latched on to a throw in from Trevor Challis but Ryan Palmer, with Emerson well beaten, hooked the midfielder's shot behind.

A minute later Terras defender Simon Downer released Wilkinson down the right flank and he in turn put Raphael Nade in the clear.

The on-loan striker hit his cross into the penalty area only for Palmer again to clear.

Weymouth broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when Andy Harris laid a free kick off to Wilkinson and the Terras man made good ground before arrowing a low shot into the right hand corner of the net.

The visitors doubled their advantage two minutes later when a long clearance from Steve Tully was headed on by Jackson.

He sent Nade away who collected the return header before crossing into the penalty area.

Steve Clark, who was in sparkling form again, ran on to the ball and drove home from eight yards.

With it all to do, Sutton started the second half well and Matt Gray might have done better when he was on the end of Gary Elliott's through ball.

The home side had an even better chance in the 50th minute, when Gray's free kick, awarded after a foul by Downer, was headed wide by Akuamoah.

For Weymouth, Clark broke free on the left flank and released Jackson, only to be flattened by Gray's late challenge.

Referee Andrew Parker, who failed to punish the Sutton midfielder, allowed the advantage but Jackson was unable to make' the home side pay.

As the pitch conditions worsened Weymouth's superior fitness came to the fore and it was no surprise when they scored again in the 72nd minute.

Jackson and Smith combined well with Challis and it was Smith's defence-splitting pass that gave Nade the chance to run on and beat Emberson from close range.

The home side continued to seek some reward for their efforts and Matthews was called upon to save from Gray and Boosey in quick succession.

Hill swapped his strikers with a quarter of an hour left, bringing on Chukki Eribenne and Dean Holdsworth to replace Jackson and Nade, and both men were quickly into the action.

Terras had a good appeal for a penalty waved away late on when Clark and Smith carved the home defence open down the right.

Smith cut inside John Scarborough and pulled the ball back into the path of Eribenne.

The Weymouth striker was unceremoniously flattened by Douglas, but the referee who was only yards away waved play on.

It was Eribenne who had the final chance of the match, a minute from the end, when he shot over following good workby Challis and Smith.