No Terras tonic as Nurse strikes
By Adam Summers

Monday 1st January 2007

STVENAGE completed a league doubleover the Terras at a wet and wild Wessex Stadium.

The Hertfordshire outfit, who beat Weymouth 1-0 at home on September 19, repeated the trick hanks to a first-half strike by Jon Nurse. Visiting keeper Alan Julian was never tested by the Terras, who lacked creativity in the final third in what proved to be an infuriating afternoon for their boss Garry Hill.

A turned down penalty appeal and a header over the top by Richard Logan was the closest the hosts came to registering as their three-game winning streak in the league was brought to an end.

Hill is renowned for tinkering with his side but this time he chose to begin with the same XI that started the 2-1 win over Exeter City on Boxing Day. Even the home bench was unchanged with Matt Baker and Raphael Nade being preferred to Aaron Lee-Barrett and Wayne Purser.

Stevenage entered the game off the back of an unbeaten run of five games and with former England international Steve Guppy occupying their left flank.

A heavy downpour before kick-off made the conditions very tough and the opening exchanges were very competitive.

George Boyd shot straight at Weymouth keeper Jason Matthews before Shaun Wilkinson was yellow carded for a foul on Adam Miller on just seven minutes. The caution was a sign of things to come from referee Steve Tomlinson, who seemed to give no regard to the conditions when getting out his book.

From the resulting free-kick Nurse latched on to Miller's cross but Matthews comfortably caught his header.

Weymouth were looking a bit hesitant and moments later Matthews was called into action again, this time producing a fine reaction stop to block Guppy's angled drive.

The Terras made their first opening on 11 minutes when Steve Tully swung in a dangerous cross from the right. Both Richard Logan and Abdou El Kholti gambled but neither man was able to con-nect.

Forced

Stevenage continued to look the better side and on 17 minutes a great break by Steve Morison had home defender Tony James stretched. The ex-Hereford United skipper forced the forward wide and the resulting shot found the side netting.

El Kholti was then forced to make a fine headed clearance at the far post to thwart the onrushing Nurse before Ben Smith went down in the box at the other end under a challenge by Ronnie Henry. Tomlinson immediately waved away appeals for a penalty much to the displeasure of Hill and the home fans.

The sticky pitch and swirling wind was causing both teams' advances to look disjointed at times but as the half went on Weymouth seemed to grow more and more in confidence.

On the half-hour Chukki Eribenne let fly from 20 yards and had visiting keeper Julian scrambling to his left but the effort fell wide.

Richard Logan then nodded a cross by Dean Howell off target before Stevenage opened the scoring against the run of play on 36 minutes. Guppy's vision and lofted pass found Morison on the left and he squared the ball to George Boyd, who unselfishly played in Nurse. The winger had the freedom of the penalty area to pick his spot and beat Matthews.

Stevenage had clearly caught the Weymouth defence napping and at half time there was no doubt that Hill had some work to do in the home dressing room.

To their credit the Terras looked livelier at the beginning of the second half and on 46 minutes Ashley Vickers nodded wide from a corner. Miller then drove a 40-yard free-kick wide at the other end before the heavens opened again.

Despite driving rain and a strong wind lashing into their faces the hosts continued to battle. Wilkinson blazed high and wide from distance before Logan fired over from 22 yards after a short free kick by Howell.

Stevenage seemed content to soak up the pressure. Eribenne just failed to get on the end of a fabulous cross by El Kholti and Wilkinson had a strike deflected wide as the hosts continued to try and raise the tempo. Eribenne was the next to go close with a header from a cross by Howell.

Borough did enjoy the odd foray into the Terras' half on the break but superb defending by Vickers and El Kholti in particular ensured the deficit remained at just one going into the final 15 minutes.

On 75 minutes Nade and ex-Stevenage man Simon Weatherstone replaced El Kholti and Wilkinson as Weymouth attempted to lay siege on the Borough box, and four minutes later they nearly levelled when Logan headed over from six yards out.

Matthews made two fine saves to deny Morison and Mark Beard moments later before Nick Crittenden came on for Howell in Hill's last throw of the dice.

Weymouth gave everything in the final minutes but their effort was not rewarded as Stevenage's defence refused to yield.