Terras fail to take Diamonds
By Nigel Biddlecombe

DOMINANT Weymouth returned from Nene Park without reward after they were punished by a Daryl Clare goal in the 54th minute.

The Terras were made to pay for their sloppiness in front of goal and came away pointless despite having 16 goal attempts.

Manager John Hollins was only able to name four substitutes – including Under-18s Jordan Vin-cent and Jamie Frampton – as injuries and the exit of Michael Malcolm left him with only 13 senior players to choose from.

Each side’s initial opportunity came from a set-piece.

Marcus Kelly’s third minute corner caused early confusion in the Terras’ defence only for Chris Hope to head over the bar while at the other end a free-kick from Kevin Sandwith found Scott Doe in space at the far post, but his effort was also too high.

Weymouth began to take the game to a hesitant home side with skipper Anton Robinson finding Stuart Beavon only for the Terras man’s effort to strike James Coutts and fly wide.

The visitors has a good chance to open the scoring on the half-hour when good build-up play from Beavon, Ryan Williams and Sandwith created an opening for Chris McPhee, who saw his effort go wide of a post.

Coutts made his own chance a little later when he got the better of Clayton Fortune only to lose his footing as he prepared to shoot, with the resultant effort being easily held by Dale Roberts in the home goal.

Danny Knowles had to be aware in the 41st minute as Rushden created their first real opening of the half.

Curtis Woodhouse’s long free-kick was flicked on by Michael Rankine towards Luke Boden who clearly controlled the ball with his hand before firing in a low drive which Knowles did well to hold.

The second half saw the Terras on the attack from the start with Robinson robbing Hope and feeding Beavon, Roberts saving the striker’s effort at the second attempt.

With the home crowd beginning to get frustrated Rushden suddenly seemed to find some form and Kelly was able to muscle Adam Bygrave off the ball before firing in a shot which Knowles saved.

Almost immediately Kelly was robbed by Doe who found Stephen Reed.

The Terras played the ball through the midfield and, with the home defenders out of position Williams easily got the better of Brendan Maloney and was able to get his shot away, only for the ball to be scrambled upfield to Curtis Osano whose run was found by Kelly. Cameron Mawer dispossessed Kelly at the expense of a corner.

Kelly took the corner which evaded the visitors’ defence and was met by Hope at the back post with a powerful header which Knowles beat out. However, Hope collected the rebound and hit a low cross into the six-yard area which Clare thumped into the net from five yards.

Undaunted the Terras continued to press looking for the goal they deserved. Coutts forced Roberts to save well before Williams saw his effort rebound off a defender.

Coutts did well to slip past Fortune and hit a cross into the area which McPhee reached seconds before Roberts only to see his flick go into the side-netting.

Beavon and Robinson both fired efforts wide before Williams and McPhee worked well down the left with the latter put a great ball into the danger area only for Coutts, who had done so well to get behind the defence, to fail to make contact with the goal at his mercy.

At the other end the home side had only one further decent opportunity – again from a set-piece – when Lee Tomlin’s corner was headed goalwards by Boden, but Bygrave was on hand to clear off the goal-line.

However. there was to be no reprieve for Weymouth and the final whistle saw the home supporters – Rushden’s smallest Saturday league crowd for 14 years – celebrate a somewhat undeserved three points.