Another great double act puts Terras on top
By Matt Pitman

Wednesday 7th December 2005

DOUBLE act Lee Elam and Matt Bound netted for the second successive game to send Weymouth top of Conference South.

The pair, who scored in last weekend's home win over Bognor Regis Town, were at it again against Weston Super-Mare at the Wessex Stadium last night.

Hard-working winger Elam capped another dazzling display of trickery with a first half opener before skipper Bound thumped home a stunning winner on 62 minutes.

Bound's 25 yard volley came just moments after Seagulls defender Craig Rand rocked the hosts with a shock equaliser, a stunning lob from 35 yards out.

But Garry Hill's men hit back to make it 11 league outings unbeaten and move two points clear of second place Havant and Waterlooville with a game in hand.

After a shaky start to the season, Weymouth are now showing why they are regarded by many as odds on title favourites.

Now they have reached the summit, you get the impression Hill's team will take some stopping.

When these two teams met at Radipole Lane earlier this season, the match was abandoned after 42 minutes through a waterlogged pitch.

There was never any danger of that happening this time around and early on a comfortable home win looked on the cards.

Weymouth, for whom Shaun Wilkinson in for Simon Downer was the only change, fashioned a couple of decent openings inside the first three minutes.

Wilkinson fizzed a low drive just wide of Seagulls keeper Ryan Northmore's up right from the edge of the area.

A decent move started by Kirk Jackson on half-way sent Lee Elam away down the right and he returned the favour by sending over a peach of a cross for the big striker.

Jackson nodded back across goal for strike partner Craig O'Connor but there was last-man Craig Rand to clear the danger.

Weston, struggling for form at the minute, caused the hosts a scare on 13 minutes when Lewis Hogg found ex-Terra Marvin Brown who released Matt Rawlins just inside the area.

But having done all the hard work, the visitors were left frustrated when Rawlins tamely dragged his shot into Jason Matthews' side-netting. By now it was clear the Terras would face a battle to earn the points needed to go top, especially when Brown seized on Andy Harris poor back-pass, but his powerful drive was blocked at point-blank range by Matthews.

The hosts' first shot on target came on 27 minutes when Elam nearly caught Northmore unaware but the keeper got down to smother.

But as against Bognor last Saturday, the Terras upped their game just before the interval.

Seagulls defender Chris Holland was nearly embarrassed when he turned Darren Wheeler's cross against his own post, under pressure by Elam. Wilkinson's resulting corner was flicked on by Jackson for Bound who almost crashed home the loose ball from 12 yards.

Less than a minute later Weymouth made the breakthrough - and suprise, surprise it was thanks to that man Elam.

A huge Matthews clearance found O'Connor whose defence-splitting pass sent Elam clear.

With just Northmore to beat, the man nicknamed Bestie kept his cool with a finish the Manchester United legend would have been proud of.

Elam's superb first half continued as he almost turned provider when his pin-point cross found O'Connor whose powerful header was smothered by Northmore.

And just to prove he can also defend, seconds later Elam raced back 50 yards to nick the ball of Rawlins' toes. Weston stepped up the pace after the restart and nearly caught the hosts cold within 15 seconds when Hogg's shot drifted inches wide after the midfielder was given room to ghost through.

You sensed Hill's full-timers needed a second goal to make sure of the points as Harris headed straight at Northmore, then the keeper splendidly denied Jackson.

After Jackson wasted another great chance, the Seagulls shocked the hosts with a exquisite equaliser out of nothing on the hour.

Defender Rand gained possession in space 35 yards out, controlled the ball on his chest, looked up and sent a dipping volley over Matthews and into the net.

The setback could easily have knocked the wind out of Weymouth's sails but Hill's team are made of stern stuff these days and were ahead again inside two minutes with a cracker of their own. A loose ball found its way to Bound 25 yards out who thumped an unstoppable volley past the helpless Northmore for his fifth goal of the season.