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Ten-man Terras foil the Grecians
By Nigel Biddlecombe
WEYMOUTH player-assistant manager Marcus Browning was given
his marching orders as the Terras produced a hard-working
performance to end a run of three successive defeats at St
James Park yesterday.
Having already conceded nine goals in their first four games
of the season all eyes were on the visitors' defence and they
stood up to the task well to land their first clean-sheet
of the campaign.
With Exeter coming into the game sitting pretty at the top
of the table, Terras' boss Jason Tindall reshuffled his pack
by recalling Kyle Critchell, Marcus Browning and Jefferson
Louis.
He also handed Sido Jombarti his first competitive start
for the club while Narada Bernard (knee), Nick Crittenden
(groin), Trevor Challis (hamstring), Justin Roberts (knee),
and Stuart Douglas (suspended) were all sidelined. Danny Phillips
and Paulo Vernazza dropped to the bench.
Weymouth could have taken the lead within the opening minute
after Ashley Vickers had been denied by Andy Marriott and
Stuart Beavon saw his follow up effort cleared off the goal
line by Matt Taylor.
Seconds later Dean Moxey's header from Jamie Mackie's cross
was well saved by Jason Matthews before the Terras' defence
completed the clearance.
Louis had two chances within a minute but rushed his first shot,
which he put wide. He then saw his header from James Coutts'
cross clear the crossbar.
City duo Adam Stansfield and Frankie Artus both went close
before Browning fired a shot over the bar seven minutes before
the break.
Both keepers were then called into action with Matthews keeping
out an effort by ex-Terra Richard Logan and Marriott tipping
over a cross-cum-shot by Louis.
The half ended with an unsavoury incident as another ex-Terra,
Steve Tully, lunged at Sido Jombarti. The referee chose to
ignore the challenge in favour of cautioning Beavon who had
fouled the Exeter man seconds later.
Louis had an early chance just six minutes into the second
period, when he out-jumped George Friend but the Terras striker
could only watch as his effort went narrowly wide.
Vickers then produced a brave challenge to block Matthew
Gill's 53rd minute effort before Matthews easily held Mackie's
shot from the edge of the area.
It was on 59 minutes that Weymouth were reduced to ten after
a tangle between Browning and Artus left both men on the floor.
The Terra received a second yellow card, quickly followed
by the red, while the home man was also cautioned.
That setback seemed to fire up the vistors as Jombarti forced
Marriott to save well after a Vernazza corner had been half
cleared into his path.
As the game progressed into its final stages Exeter's one-man
advantage began to take effect as Weymouth were forced on
to the back foot, Matthews denied Steve Basham before producing
the save of the match to palm away a header from the third
ex-Terra in the Exeter line-up, Lee Elam, in the 80th minute.
Elam, who scored a hat-trick on his debut the last time both
sides met, was then guilty of a glaring miss from six yards
after Matthews had thwarted Basham for a second time.
The Grecians continued to push forward and in the dying minutes
Elam was put through by Moxey only to see his shot fail to
find the target.
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