Terras get Lallana lesson
By Matt Pitman

Wednesday 19th July 2006

IT was men against boys at the Wessex Stadium last night - and the boys won.

Southampton's young guns taught Conference National newcomers Weymouth a footballing lesson in this pre-season friendly.

Saints, featuring a host of teenage first year professionals, ripped the Terras defence apart with a superb display of neat, crisp passing.

Garry Hill's hosts had no answer to the visitors' influential midfielder Adam Lallana who, quite simply, was a joy to watch.

The Dorset-born England under-18 international, playing behind lone striker Cedric Baseya, scored once and had a hand in Baseya's two other goals.

None of that seemed likely after Weymouth, who also created a fair few chances, opened brightly.

Striker Chukki Eribenne's looping header forced a finger-tip save from Saints' teenage keeper Matej Rondos.

Eribenne's attacking colleague Richard Logan then saw a shot after a neat swivel go close, before Eribenne was inches wide from 12 yards.

While the hosts relied on crosses from Dean Howell and Nick Crittenden, it was Saints' midfield who made the biggest impact.

The impressive Lallana was pulling all the strings and from his through ball, Terras keeper Jason Matthews blocked at Baseya's feet.

The Southampton youngsters, who were without ex-Terra Kyle Critchell through illness, combined again on 27 minutes and claimed a better end result.

Lallana this time drifted in from the flank to find Baseya with a peach of a pass and the striker did the rest from close range.

Eribenne should have drew Weymouth level seconds later but failed to make a clean contact after a decent build-up.

Just before the interval, Josh Dutton-Black broke from midfield again but was denied at the near post by Matthews.

Lallana was at it again on 49 minutes to help Saints double their advantage.

His delightful threaded through ball found Baseya who spun and crashed an angled drive past substitute keeper Aaron Lee-Barrett.

Lallana's night got even better on the hour when he himself got on the scoresheet for the Saints. The nippy midfielder combined with Aristoles de Carvalh and Tim Sprav to bundle his way into the area and fire home from
close range.

A host of substitutions spoiled the flow after that although Nick Crittenden twice and Roy O'Brien, who struck the bar with a header, nearly grabbed consolations for Weymouth.