Shakers survice Terras onslaught
By Adam Summers

Monday 13th November 2006

FOOTBALL League status is the Terras' main ambition and on the evidence of this performance they might not be too far away from achieving that feat.

In front of a crowd of 2,503 and an audience of millions watching the game live on BBC's Match of the Day programme, Weymouth produced a fantastic performance to capture a replay at Gigg Lane on November 21 with a home tie against Chester City in the second round the prize awaiting the winners.

Had a couple of uncharacteristic defensive errors not blighted their display, the non-Leaguers would have won. That may have took a bit of gloss off of the occasion for home boss Garry Hill but his men's efforts should not be understated. They are moving in the right direction and if they keep progressing at the same rate their dream will soon become reality.

Striker Chukki Eribenne and winger Dean Howell both failed to come through late fitness tests and missed out for the Terras, who made three changes to the side that started their 2-0 Nationwide Conference National defeat at Stafford Rangers in their previous game.

Simon Downer, Abdou El Kholti, and Raphael Nade were all recalled and took the places of Trevor Challis, Steve Tully and Wayne Purser. The latter two were included on the bench.

With Bury having won their last six league games and Weymouth unbeaten at home this season, a close game was always on the cards and that is what transpired.

Hill received a bottle of champagne from FA chief executive Brian Barwick before the game for winning the Nationwide Conference Manager of the Month Award for October and he must have been pleased with how his side went on to start the tie.

On five minutes the seasiders very nearly took the lead when El Kholti's inswinging free-kick from the right was glanced home by Richard Logan but the effort was disallowed for a foul. The Terras' forward was harshly judged to have impeded his marker when jumping for the ball.

Bury responded with a speculative effort by Dave Buchanan that flew well wide before a superbly flighted corner by El Kholti met the head of Ashley Vickers whose header was hacked off the line by Mark Pugh.

The Shakers were struggling to defend set-pieces and moments later another El Kholti flag-kick ended up finding Lee Elam at the far post. He twisted and turned but his pull back was fired off target by Nade.

Despite looking ragged at times, Bury still offered a threat and on 25 minutes only a great clearance by Roy O'Brien stopped Glynn Hurst's lob over the onrushing Arran Lee-Barrett from finding the net.

Weymouth suddenly looked under pressure and from the resulting corner seconds later the visitors opened the scoring. The ball bounced around in the area and when Terras' captain Ben Smith could only half clear, Pugh drove it through a crowd of players from 16 Yards.

It was a sucker-punch the hosts did not deserve but to their credit they continued playing the better football. Elam went close before Lee-Barrett was forced into a top class save on 33 minutes when he dived at the feet of Andy Bishop who looked odds on to score when Dwayne Mattis' cross fell to him just six yards out.

The game continued to flow and moments later it was Bury's fans who had their hearts in their mouths when John Fitzgerald's sliced clearance flew over the head of keeper Aaron Grundy and hit the top of the bar.

The Terras continued to press for what would be a deserved equaliser before half-time but it did not come. On 43 minutes Steve Tully came on for Nick Crittenden and seconds later Richard Baker forced Lee-Barrett to make a save down to his left with a 20-yard drive.

The second half started with a slower tempo but on 50 minutes the game was brought back to life by a superb drive by Simon Weatherstone from 18 yards. The ex-Boston United man powered the ball past Grundy to level the score after Paul Scott had partially intercepted his original pass to Elam.

Bury now looked stunned and with Weymouth continuing to get in their faces, it was no surprise when the hosts grabbed a second five minutes later. Smith fed Elam and with space down the left he lifted in a sublime cross that Logan headed past Grundy, who got a hand to it but could not stop it from crossing the line.

With Hill and the home fans willing them on, the Terras kept coming forward and moments later they should have put the game beyond Bury when Logan's cross from the right found Elam at the far-post but the ex-Morecambe man could only nod the ball against the woodwork.

Nade also went close with a header on 66 minutes before Bury made a couple of substitutions. The switches seemed to put some life back into the Lancashire outfit and on 74 minutes they grabbed an equaliser against the run of play.

A hopeful cross by Tom Kennedy caught the Terras napping and when Elam played Bishop onside the Bury striker beat the onrushing Lee-Barrett to the ball and nodded into an unguarded net.

Hill made two changes towards the end with Purser and Shaun Wilkinson replacing Nade and Downer but neither side could muster a winner.