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Aiden Downes Terras
By Adam Summers
TRIALIST keeper Richard Bernard produced a good first showing
as a below-par Weymouth suffered a 1-0 loss against local
rivals Yeovil Town in their final pre-season friendly at the
Wessex Stadium.
Bernard replaced the injured Danny Knowles while James Beale
was handed a spot on the bench.
Scott Doe started at centre back alongside Marcio dos Santos
Gaia while another trialist, Andy Taylor, took up a position
on the right wing in a midfield that included Anton Robinson,
ex-Yeovil man Stephen Reed and Ryan Williams. Chris McPhee
partnered Stuart Beavon up front.
Gavin Tomlin and Danny Schofield threatened in the early
stages for the Glovers but Weymouth then settled and responded
with Kevin Sandwith firing over from distance and McPhee dragging
a shot across goal from 18 yards.
Pierre Joseph-Dubois then replaced Beavon on the half-hour
but it was Town who eventually broke the deadlock on 36 minutes
when a wonderful piece of skill by Tomlin allowed him to break
away from Santos Gaia and play in Paul Warne.
Bernard blocked the experienced forward's initial shot but
when the ball came back to the Yeovil man he side-footed it
across to Aiden Downes who tapped in from two yards.
That stunned the hosts and moments later Tomlin was causing problems
again. This time he cut the ball back from the by-line after
rounding Bernard but Warne saw his shot cleared off the line
by Doe.
Despite the pressure Bernard was looking accomplished and
he produced a fine block to deny Warne again before Williams
broke away at the other end on 44 minutes and tested Asmir
Begovic who palmed the ball only as far as Taylor who fluffed
the rebound.
After the break Town defender Terrell Forbes ran through
the centre of the Weymouth team from his own half but was
denied by an excellent save from Bernard before the Terras
finally began to put together a sustained period of pressure
of their own.
McPhee fired wide before some fine interplay on 56 minutes,
orchestrated by Williams, ended with an effort by Robinson
that Begovic did well to save down to his left.
Joseph-Dubois then went close before Bernard was replaced
by Beale. The young debutant received warm applause as he
left the field and it was not long before his replacement
was called into action, showing safe hands to keep out Lloyd
Owusu's close range header.
Robinson had a 20-yard shot pushed wide by Begovic with five
minutes remaining as Weymouth tried to salvage a draw before
Craig Alcock struck a fierce effort at the other end that
Beale did well to block to safety.
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