Alan Lewer and his staff had burned the midnight oil in order to put out a competitive side for Saturday’s Blue Square fixture at York.

With constraints over the number of loan and youth training scheme players that could be used the news that Stephen Reed and Cameron Mawer were willing to turn out was more than welcome.

As matters panned out Wey-mouth’s scratch team, a team that have never met each other before Friday let alone played together, came within a fingertip of embarrassing their hosts.

Watched by more than 60 visiting fans, boosted on this occasion by an extra supporter – Stephen Beer – who is in talks with the football club concerning a deal to help the club through its present maelstrom, the Terras played their hearts out.

Inside the first minute York made the first of many sorties towards the visitors’ goal as Daniel McBreen found Simon Russell on the left. Russell laid the ball to Brodie but the York man fired well wide.

Weymouth – despite the obvious nerves among those inexperienced at this level – defended well to thwart the home side, but they were also helped by some wayward finishing.

The referee produced as a yellow card for Kenny Strickland – a work experience player who was a member of Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup final team last year – after he had taken a free-kick too quickly causing the majority of the Kit Kat Crescent to resound with a chorus of boos.

Russell was well off target when Adam Smith found him with space and time to spare before Simon Evans – returning to the Terras after a spell away – produced the first of several fine saves to deny McBreen.

The ex-Terras’ academy man then produced a great save to divert Daniel Parslow’s drive.

York broke the Terras’ resistance in the 23nd minute when Russell produced a superb cross from the flank which was met by Brodie with a powerful header leaving the Weymouth defence helpless.

This success seemed to spur the home side to launch forward even more, but – with the poor finishing helping – Evans was able to save from McBreen and Brodie.

Stephen Reed was responsible for Weymouth’s first shot of the match after Tom Richardson and Peter-borough loanee Kwesi Appiah, had created space for the Terras’ captain. However, Reed’s effort was well off target.

Within a minute of the second half Evans pulled out a superb stop to deny Russell, before the visitors suffered a major blow as Jordan Collins had to be helped from the field with a suspected ligament injury, after he had appeared to fall badly.

Reed, who was working like a Trojan to support the youngsters around him, shot wide, before Mawer produced the tackle of the match to recover after ex-Terra Kyle Critchell had robbed him and looked set to add to the home side’s lead.

The first real effort on target from the visitors came in the 70th minute when Strickland laid a pass into the feet of Reed.

The Weymouth man’s shot looked destined to level the match until Josh Minns produced a terrific save, pushing the ball over the crossbar.

At the other end Evans underlined his performance with the save of the match after Mark Greaves and Brodie had split the Terras’ defence to set up Onome Sodje with a close range opportunity.

Undaunted the visitors came back with Appiah giving Ryan McKech-nie the chance to test Mimms, but the York goalkeeper was able to hold on to his crossfield shot.

For a period it looked like Weymouth might steal an unlikely point as Strickland saw an effort narrowly pass over the crossbar, but it was the Minstermen who were to have the last laugh when in the 89th minute Brodie was on hand to convert another Russell cross with an unstoppable header.

The game concluded with Reed seeing another long-range effort clear the crossbar in stoppage time.

At the end the majority of the stadium rose to a man to acknowledge the efforts of the men in Weymouth’s yellow shirts and it was an ovation they thoroughly deserved.