Purser at the double to seal all the points for Terras
By Matt Pitman

Monday 2nd October 2006

WAYNE Purser saved his and Weymouth's best for last to beat St Albans City at the Wessex Stadium.

The striker marked his return to the Terras following a month's loan at Eastleigh by scoring twice late on to send his side up to third in the Conference National table.

The former Peterborough player was first on hand to cancel out Paul Hakim's opener for the visitors. Then he deflected Richard Logan's shot past Saints keeper Paul Bastock to claim a dramatic winner. Purser's crucial interventions
masked what was a forgettable performance from Garry Hill's men who for long periods looked like they were heading for defeat.

Weymouth made four changes to the side hammered at Dagenham and Redbridge and the hosts started brightly in what was a low key affair. The returning Purser immediately showed what the Terras missed, linking up well with strike partner Chukki Eribenne whose power won an early corner.

The visitors enjoyed a decent early chance when the excellent Hakim's dangerous ball across the home area found Jackman who couldn't control the centre.

Both teams cancelled each other out in the early stages although Ben Smith did enjoy a half chance after 15 minutes.

The Terras midfielder fired an overhead kick over the top after Roy O'Brien had headed Simon Weatherstone's corner back into the danger-zone.

Dean Howell showed a good turn of pace down the left moments later but his low cross didn't fall kindly for the lurking Purser and Eribenne and City's defence cleared.

Set-pieces looked the most likely route for either side, as proved when Saints debutant Alexis Nicolas' dangerous corner just skimmed the top of Magnus Okuonghae's head.

Simon Weatherstone dragged his shot well wide from range midway through the opening half for Weymouth.

But poor deliveries from dead balls frustrated the home side, with Weatherstone and El Kholti failing to clear the first defender on corners.

Weatherstone tried to make up for his earlier error with a cushioned pass to Smith whose lob over Bastock drifted wide. Things improved after the break with the visitors creating a glut of chances early in the second period.

Former Chelsea youngster Nicolas was a whisker away from giving the hosts the lead seconds after the restart.

After Simon Downer fouled Lee Clarke 25 yards out, the Saints new boy curled a superb free kick over the Weymouth wall only to see the ball crash against Lee-Barrett's cross bar.

Hakim's lovely ball in from the right then had Terras keeper Lee-Barrett in no mans land but Lee Flynn at the far post couldn't wrap his foot around the ball.

The visitors broke again moments later with the move leading to Jackman curling just wide from the edge of the area.

After enjoying the best of the second period, Saints grabbed a deserved opener on the hour.

Chris Seeby crossed from the right, Clarke found Hakim who chested the. ball down and lashed home a shot across Lee-Barrett and into the far corner of the net.

The setback briefly woke Weymouth up with Howell ending a good run down the left with a low cross that was too close to Bastock.

The Terras were still lacking any real attacking quality and looked unlikely to conjur up an equaliser. Eribenne eventually mustered Weymouth's first shot on goal after 70 minutes, a long-range effort saved by Bastock.

The hosts made a double change in a bid to salvage a point, substitutes Richard Logan and Shaun Wilkinson replacing El Kholti and Tony James. Howell had a stooping header off target from Smith's cross as Weymouth pushed forward.

And the pressure paid off when Howell was released by Smith, cut in from the left channel, feigned to shoot and there was Purser to tuck home.

And the striker was at it again with four minutes left, deflecting Logan's goalbound drive past the wrong-footed Bastock to hand Weymouth a dramatic late winner.