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Malcolm grabs a point for unbeaten Terras
By Nigel Biddlecombe
A FINE equaliser by Michael Malcolm helped Weymouth gain a
valuable point at Broadhall Way.
The Terras were unchanged for the third successive game and
they started the stronger side as Ashley Bayes fumbled a Stuart
Beavon shot before grabbing the ball at the second attempt.
The home keeper was even more fortunate when, on the visitors'
next attack, Bayes spilled Kevin Sandwith's free-kick, but
Beavon could not react quickly enough with the Stevenage number
one managing to grab the ball from his feet.
The home side's first foray into the Terras' penalty area
saw Santos Gaia do well to clear a cross from Anthony Thomas
for a corner in the 11th minute.
As the home side, under pressure after a poor start to the
season, began to settle the visitors were relieved to watch
Michael Bostwick's effort fly harmlessly wide whilst Richard
Barnard had to react swiftly to beat out a fierce shot from
Thomas.
Stevenage opened the scoring in the 24th minute when the
Terras' defence were caught out by a Scott Laird through ball
which found Callum Willock in plenty of space and with time
to beat Barnard from ten yards out.
Weymouth produced the perfect reply just three minutes later when
Beavon nudged a clearance into the path of Michael Malcolm.
The midfielder left a couple of defenders in his wake before
beating Boyes from the edge of the area.
Another Bostwick effort was harmlessly wide of the target
while Ryan Williams' corner at the other end caused problems
before being hacked clear of the danger zone.
The second half did not live up to the promise of the first
as the referee's whistle constantly interrupted the flow of
the game.
Thomas, for the home side, had the first chance of the half,
but Bernard easily held his weak effort before Bayes dealt
comfortably with Williams' shot at the other end.
The game was 70 minutes old before Stevenage fashioned their
next opportunity on goal. Andy Drury and Laird combined to
put Gary Mills in with a chance to shoot, but his shot was
well wide of the target and just a minute later a Thomas effort
followed the same path.
Malcolm did put the ball in the home net in the 73rd minute,
but then found that the referee had already stopped play as
Beavon lay pole-axed in midfield, following a clash with Luke
Oliver.
Weymouth were unlucky when Malcolm's ball to Beavon split
the home defence, but the striker's effort was blocked and
Stephen Reed's follow up shot met with the same fate.
As Stevenage cleared Oliver felled Beavon in the penalty
area, but the referee refused claims for a penalty.
Although the six foot seven Oliver rose above the Terras'
defence to head a corner wide of the upright and Mills fired
wired there was no further score, leaving the Terras to return
home with a very well deserved point.
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