Fans boo Terras after dire defeat
By Adam Summers

DISGRUNTLED fans showed their displeasure as a catalogue of defensive errors once again cost Weymouth at the Wessex Stadium on Saturday.

Stafford entered the game having not scored for 310 minutes and with only one point on the board but they embarrassed the Terras' back-line, which at times was a shambles.

Marco Adaggio and David McNiven were the grateful recipients of the home side's charity but Nick Crittenden did give the hosts some hope at one stage when his cross-come-shot beat visiting stopper Scott Loach.

To their credit Weymouth gave everything they had in the final stages but their overall performance was a long way below par. Terras' supporters showed their feelings at half-time and full-time when they booed their side from the field.

Home boss Jason Tindall made four changes to the line-up that started Tuesday night's 2-1 defeat against Rushden & Diamonds, recalling goalkeeper Jason Matthews, defender Ashley Vickers and midfielders Paolo Vernazza and James Coutts.

Jon Stewart and Justin Roberts were dropped to the bench while midfielders Marcus Browning (groin), Sido Jombarti (knee) and Anton Robinson (illness) all missed out due to fitness problems.

Conal Platt and Vernazza were given the job of trying to dictate the play from the centre of midfield and it was the hosts who made the first opening when Stuart Beavon lobbed the ball on to the crossbar from 30 yards. Loach was clearly beaten but had it dropped in it would have been ruled out for offside.

The Terras' defence has faced a lot of scrutiny in recent times and they looked shaky again in the opening minutes with Stafford getting in behind them on several occasions without taking advantage.

At the other end Jefferson Louis was proving a menace and on 12 minutes his shot on the turn from 15 yards fell wide of a post.

Weymouth's indecision at the back was then inevitably punished two minutes later when Adaggio was given the time and space to play a neat one-two on the edge of the area with McNiven.

Matthews came out to close down Adaggio but the Rangers man touched the ball past the keeper and slid it into an open net.

Tindall started watching the game from the stand but Stafford's opener caused him to go down to the touchline and order his men to revert to a 3-5-2 system with Critchell moving into the midfield.

The former Southampton man made a wonderful last-ditch challenge to deny Kevin Street a certain second on 28 minutes before Wayne Daniel was allowed a free header at a corner but directed it over.

However, a second was clearly on the cards and it came on 41 minutes when Adaggio weaved his way into the area and set up McNiven who produced a deft chip that the back-pedalling Matthews could only palm into the net.

To their credit the Terras gave it a real good go at the beginning of the second half. A mishit shot by Louis caused Loach to make a desperate punch clear before the visiting keeper then handed the home team a lifeline on 56 minutes when he was caught stranded off his line by a cross-come-shot by Crittenden.

The home fans suddenly lifted the noise but their enthusiasm lasted just three minutes as Stafford replied with their third. McNiven broke a shoddy offside trap and then had all the time in the world to stroke the ball past the onrushing Matthews.

Louis headed a chance over, Vernazza curled a shot wide and Crittenden was thwarted by a superb save but despite their late effort the Terras were unable to cut the deficit.

Adaggio also had a chance to increase the lead but Matthews was alert to block the shot at the near-post.