Paolo's prize
By Adam Summers

WEYMOUTH took everyone by surprise at the Wessex Stadium by producing a terrific performance to see off play-off contenders Stevenage Borough.

Most people were fearing the worst for the Terras going into the clash after Tuesday's 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Forest Green Rovers but John Hollins' men proved their doubters wrong with a first-half strike from Paolo Vernazza.

That goal was the Terras' first at home in the Blue Square Premier since November 24 and they would have added more had it not been for some inspired second-half saves from Alan Julian, who ironically had let Vernazza's effort squirm under his body on 39 minutes.

Hollins made two changes to his starting XI with on-loan defender Chris Blackburn and striker Stuart Beavon coming in for Justyn Roberts and Marcus Browning.

On the bench, Scott Doe was recalled after serving a one-match suspension.

The hosts made a bright start to the game with Jake Hyde pulling a shot wide and Blackburn heading into the hands of Julian.

The shape of the Terras' line up looked far better with Anton Robinson in the centre of midfield and Tony Bedeau looking more of a threat out wide.

And on 12 minutes it was the Torquay United loanee who nodded just over the bar after a fantastic cross from Nick Crittenden.

Stevenage made their first opening moments later when Sammy Moore fed the ball into the box for Mitchell Cole but fortunately for the Terras his cross flew along the six-yard box and away to safety.

Blackburn was proving a calming influence in the Weymouth defence as the visitors continued to fail to get any decent service into their top scorer Steve Morison, who for the opening half was pretty much a spectator.

The Terras were also looking a lot better in possession although the quality of their final ball was still lacking.

Borough continued to look flat but on 33 minutes Magnus Okuonghae got caught out of position and that allowed Gavin Grant to break from halfway.

Blackburn came across and applied some pressure and did just enough to put the speedy winger off as he shot wide of Stephen Henderson's goal.

The game needed a goal and it came six minutes later when a long ball into the Borough box was only headed away as far as Vernazza.

The former Arsenal man took aim and left fly from 20 yards with a powerful shot that to the home fans' delight dipped underneath Julian, who should have done better.

The hosts were applauded off the field at half-time and in the early exchanges of the second half Vernazza played a sublime reverse pass to put through Beavon on the left of the box but his shot flew across the face of goal.

Stevenage were again looking lethargic and moments later Bedeau went close with a header from another fantastic cross from Crittenden which Julian somehow palmed wide.

From the resulting corner Black-burn then headed over before the visitors hit back with an opportunity at the other end for Grant who drove the ball into the side-netting after a lay off from Morison.

The game was certainly beginning to open up as Stevenage committed more men forward in search of a leveller but it was the Terras who continued to look the more likely to grab a second.

Hyde was the next to go close. First he had a header pushed on to the bar by Julian after fantastic work by Beavon before shooting just wide of a post after a cross from the left had fallen to him just 15 yards out.

The visitors were also carrying the odd threat on the break and on 64 minutes they almost struck a cruel blow when Morison spotted Henderson in no-man's-land and lobbed the ball just over the bar from 25 yards.

Michael Malcolm replaced Hyde on 69 minutes to give Borough something else to think about but Morison was beginning to get more into the game and moments later he managed to get the other side of Blackburn.

The powerful forward muscled his way into the box but this time Henderson was alive to the danger and made a good save.

The Terras then suffered a blow when skipper for the day Trevor Challis picked up his fifth booking of the season despite winning the ball in a challenge with Grant.

It was a strong and fair tackle by the full back but referee Mike Mullarkey wrongly deemed it to be dangerous and reached for his book.

Challis will now have to serve a one-match suspension but not even that could put a damper on what was a fantastic performance by the home side.

Henderson displayed a couple of nervous moments in added time but despite the pressure and a couple of close shaves the Terras managed to hold on.