Chukki serves up a cracker
By Adam Summers

Monday 4th December 2006

! STRIKER Chukki Eribenne came off the bench and struck a dramatic winner for the Terras at the Wessex Stadium. The 26-year-old, who later missed a penalty, produced a fine solo effort on 77 minutes to finally end the Dorset outfit's winless run.

Entering the game having claimed no victories in November, Weymouth desperately needed a boost in confidence and that is what they got although it should have been a lot more comfortable.

It proved a great afternoon for the home strikers with Richard Logan and Raphael Nade also getting on the score-sheet but at the back the same
problems that blighted their performances last month were still very evident.

Hill made five changes to his starting XI with goalkeeper Jason Matthews, defenders Trevor Challis and Ashley Vickers, midfielder Simon Weatherstone and forward Richard Logan all being recalled.

Arran Lee-Barrett and Jason Tindall were dropped to the bench, which also included the welcome return of Dean Howell. The winger, who spent the whole of last month recovering from injury, was making his first appearance in a match-day squad for five games.

Lee Elam and Nick Crittenden missed out due to injury while Simon Downer and Shaun Wilkinson were suspended.

With Howell their only available winger, the Terras began with forward Wayne Purser and full-back Abdou El Kholti on the right and left respectively Challis started at left back with Steve Tully at right back.

Having lost their last three games in the league, Weymouth needed a good start and on seven minutes they nearly took the lead. Skipper Ben Smith rolled the ball across the edge of the box and Purser met it with a clean strike but his effort went straight at stopper Ashley Bayes, who made a good block.

Vickers, Ben Smith and Nade all then went close before Grays opened the scoring against the run of play on 17 minutes. A floated corner by Glen Poole was misjudged by defender Roy O'Brien and Lee Boylan, the smallest player on the pitch, made no mistake with his downward header that gave Matthews no chance.

It was a poor goal to give away but to their credit the Terras responded just a minute later when El Kholti made a superb run down the left and produced a fine cross for Logan to head home. It was the ex-Peterborough United man's fifth in ten games.

El Kholti seemed to get the better of his marker Jay Smith every time he got the ball and on 27 minutes he mustered another cross that was just too high for Nade, who was free at the far post.

Despite looking good going forward, at the back it was a very different story for the Terras particularly in terms of defending set-pieces with Matthews looking very indecisive.

Nade had to hook the ball away from inside his own six-yard box from one corner and Comyn-Platt went close from another, heading wide at the far post.

The game was proving to be fantastic entertainment and on 34 minutes the hosts took the lead through Nade. The Carlisle United loanee volleyed past Bayes from 15 yards after Purser's cross was only half cleared by Comyn-Platt.

The Terras desperately needed to settle and keep things tight until half-time but two minutes later they completely switched off again and got punished.

A free-kick taken quickly by Stuart Thurgood on the edge of the box found Boylan and he had all the time in the world to lift the ball past Matthews, who was totally unprotected.

Boylan had another effort saved by Matthews moments later but on the balance of play the Terras should have entered the interval ahead. They gifted Grays their goals and it was essential that they sorted themselves out defensively in the second half - a point that Hill would have no doubt made in his half-time team-talk.

Howell replaced Challis at the start of the second half, taking up a role on the left wing with El Kholti moving to left back.

Grays made the first chance of the period on 53 minutes when Tom Williamson crossed from the right and Justin Richards headed over from eight yards. It was a golden opportunity and the marking from Weymouth's defence was again non-existent. It was not surprising to see the big striker kick a post in frustration.

The Terras responded with a shot-on-the-turn by Nade after a fine pass by Ben Smith but Bayes was equal to the effort. Moments later the heavens opened and on 65 minutes Grays made a double switch with Boylan being one of the men to depart the field. The Terras were definitely glad to see the back of him.

Weatherstone had a deflected free-kick from long range pushed away by Bayes before Chukki Eribenne came on for the hosts in place of Logan. The ex-AFC Bournemouth man made an immediate impact and very nearly regained the lead for his side but after battling past two defenders his final effort flew wide of the target.

Both teams huffed and puffed for a while before Eribenne finally came up with he decisive strike on 77 minutes. The powerful forward turned Jay Smith inside out before side-footing the ball into the left corner.

The same player then had a chance to wrap up the result from the spot four minutes later after Jay Smith was judged to have handled Dean Howell's cross from the left. Eribenne struck the spot-kick well but Bayes sprung to his left to pull off a great stop.

Hill replaced Purser with defender Tony James on 82 minutes in a bid to see out the game and that is exactly what his side did. The relief on the faces of everyone associated with the Terras was very apparent at the final whistle.