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Red-hot Beavon
By Nigel Biddlecombe
Monday 5th March 2007
Stuart Beavon's hot scoring streak continued as the Terras
earned a valuable point at The New Rec in Nationwide Conference
National.
The talented forward has netted five goals in seven outings
since signing for the Terras in January but his double on
Saturday was not enough to land player-boss Jason Tindall
his long-awaited first win at the helm.
Yeovil Town winger Ishmael Welsh made his debut for the Dorset
club after signing on a month's loan the previous day and
there was a place on the bench for Raphael Nade.
The Ivory Coast-born forward was returning after a long lay-off
with an ankle injury. Tindall missed out due to a thigh strain.
None of the four players who left the Terras for Grays in
January started the game.
Chukki Eribenne and Dean Howell were on the home side's bench
but Abdou El Kholti and Simon Downer were not included.
Yeovil defender Anthony Tonkin, who has been drafted in on loan
by Athletic, was also named as a substitute.
The game's first opportunity fell to Grays' Glenn Poole but
his free-kick flew wide of the upright.
Simon Weatherstone was then handed a similar set-piece at
the other end and he went even closer, striking his 20-yard
effort against a post. Beavon was unable to take advantage
of the rebound.
Jason Matthews made a couple of fine saves to deny Stuart
Thurgood and Poole before Brian Dutton was given offside after
finding himself free in front of goal.
Poole again tested Matthews but Weymouth also continued to
pressurise with Beavon being denied twice by some sharp keeping
by Ashley Bayes.
On 29 minutes, Welsh, Dutton and James Coutts all combined
well to put Weatherstone free on the edge of the area but
his effort was cleared to safety by the home defence.
Some pedantic refereeing then saw a plethora of free-kicks
awarded around the Terras' penalty area but Grays were unable
to take advantage.
The half looked like it was going to end goal-less until
two minutes before the break when the hosts finally broke
the deadlock. Poole made good ground on the left flank and
when he crossed Gavin Grant headed the ball into the path
of Leroy Griffths who fired past Matthews.
The Terras had every right to be aggrieved about the goal
because when the ball was delivered into the box it did look
like two of their players, one of which was Grant, should
have been flagged offside.
Nade was brought into the action at the start of the second
half in place of Dutton and he immediately began to cause
problems as the visitors went with two up top.
Matthews made two smart stops to deny Griffiths and Grant
before Nade sent an effort over the bar from a corner by Nick
Crittenden.
Simon Weatherstone then shot wide as the Terras continued
to desperately search for a leveller. It came on 70 minutes
when a fine cross by the impressive Welsh set up Beavon to
head past Bayes.
Matthews was in inspired form and he produced the save of
the match to keep out an effort by Ben Harding before Weymouth
went 2-1 up with 14 minutes remaining.
Adam Cottrell's long ball flew over the home defence and
Beavon ran on it and rounded Bayes before calmly slotting
the ball into an empty net.
To their credit Grays kept fighting and three minutes later
the score was level again. Substitute Eribenne nudged on a
long punt forward to Thurgood and he found Grant who let fly
from an acute angle for a superb equaliser.
In the latter stages both sides pushed for a winner and it
was Weymouth who went closest when Welsh beat his marker and
crossed for Nade but his header flew over.
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