The Terras’ skipper was dismissed in the 17th minute after he slid into a challenge on Godfrey Poku close to the halfway line, which although, perhaps a little late, was fairly innocuous. Sadly Poku made the most of it and the referee, encouraged by a number of the home players, produced his red card.

For the first time this season the Terras started a match with the same line-up as had started the previous game against Bath City, when they fielded an unchanged side at Clarence Park.

Playing down the slope it was Weymouth who were first out of the blocks as David Obaze played a ball out of defence to Jordan Rose.

The midfielder helped the ball on to Scott Dixon who went outside a defender before placing a terrific cross into the danger area.

Unfortunately Josh Llewellyn headed over the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

Shortly after this the visitors were grateful to Scott Brice who produced a terrific challenge to thwart Drew Roberts after Gary Cohen and James Galbraith had combined well to put the home striker free in space.

As play moved from end to end both Dixon and City’s Poku fired shots over the crossbar from outside the penalty area.

The game was virtually decided in an 18-minute period, starting with Critchell’s red-card.

Reduced to 10 men, Weymouth were forced to withdraw Jake Reid into midfield, leaving Llewellyn as a lone striker, but this did not stop them taking the fight to the Hertfordshire side.

And after Brice had headed over the crossbar from Chris Allen’s free-kick they took a 29th minute lead.

Another Allen free-kick was floated into the penalty area and Obaze was on hand to head past Paul Bastock and into the net from 12 yards.

A minute after the goal Ryan Harrison kept the Terras’ lead intact as he pulled off a terrific save from a James Fisher drive, but two goals in as many minutes turned the game on its head.

The equaliser came on 35 minutes – and was another example of the ill-fortune following Weymouth this season.

Fisher found Poku, whose low shot from 25 yards, appeared to take a deflection off the outstretched leg of Jamie Frampton and to the left of the diving Harrison.

Just two minutes later Frampton was involved in the incident that gave Saints their second and deciding goal, but – as so often happens when you are at the wrong end of the table – the match official had a major say in it.

Alex Bailey had controlled a crossfield pass, clearly using his hand, but was allowed to play Fisher into space on the flank.

As he tried to cut into the penalty area Fisher was tripped by the young full-back and the referee awarded a penalty, despite the incident appearing to occur outside the area.

Roberts stepped up and drove past Harrison to take advantage of the decision.

It might have been expected that Ian Hutchinson’s men would be over-run following this frantic period, but a new found resilience appeared as they harried and frustrated the home side in all areas of the park, thus ensuring no repeat of the collapses witnessed earlier this season.

Before the half-time whistle Galbraith was the provider of two crosses that caused the visitors problems, however Harrison saved comfortably from Roberts’ header and Frampton did well to clear from Bailey on the edge of the six-yard box.

Harrison was called into action almost immediately on the resumption of play when he was quickly down at the feet of Poku to smother the ball.

As the Terras defended the early onslaught Obaze blocked a Roberts’ effort and Frampton did the same as Jonathan O’Donnell shot from the edge of the area.

Although Fisher headed a cross from Cohen over the crossbar, and O’Donnell hit an effort high and Harrison had to be on his toes to bravely block at the feet of Cohen – who was only cautioned for a lunge on the Terras goalkeeper that left Harrison prone for a couple of minutes – Weymouth were doing a terrific job of stifling the home side and restricting them to shooting from distance.

At the other end a long clearance from Harrison found Brice upfield and Bastock did well to gather at the centre-half’s feet, thus preventing any real opportunity for a shot.

Weymouth best chance of the second half fell to Reid, but his effort was disappointingly high, after good build up work from Frampton and Brice.

Nathan Loader made his senior competitive debut as a late replacement for Frampton – who left the field with a cut head – but it was referee Foley who had the last word as he cautioned Allen for taking a free-kick too quickly in the second minute of added time, as the Terras chased an equaliser.

St Albans: Bastock, Quilter, Everitt (Maxwell 65), Poku, Clayton, Frater, Bailey, Fisher, Cohen, Roberts, Galbraith (O’Donnell 45). Subs not used: Peters, Dedman, James Weymouth: Harrison, Frampton (Loader 85), Radcliffe, Brice, Obaze, Critchell, Allen, Rose (Metters 83), Llewellyn, Reid, Dixon (Smith 74).

Subs not used: Hutchinson, Byfield Out of luck have to be patient. We’ll keep grafting though, and we’ll stick together.”

Asked for his take on Critchell’s sending off, Hutch-inson added: “I’ll leave that to the people who witnessed it. But Kyle was distraught after and couldn’t believe it. We’ve now had two sendings off in our last two games and both lads involved have no malice in them whatsoever.”

The only other negative for the Terras was seeing young defender Jamie Frampton sustain a head injury.

Hutchinson said: “Jamie suffered a gash to his head and he had to have some stitches. He’s been playing above his years and has been putting his head in where it hurts.”

The Terras, who remain bottom of Blue Square South, entertain holders Poole Town in the second round of the Dorset Senior Cup tomorrow night (7.45pm).