Terras are brought to earth (01.10.05)

A GOALLESS yet thoroughly entertaining tussle ended honours even at York Road on Saturday afternoon, as the revitalised Magpies matched Weymouth’s full-timers blow for blow.
Indeed, if Stephen Hughes had found the target with either of two free headers, United would have deservedly led at the break.
His first miss came in just the second minute of play, when Magpies skipper Matt Glynn picked out Hughes with a pinpoint corner, but the powerful striker headed just wide of the near post.
Hughes almost atoned two minutes later, when he skipped through two challenges, exchanged passes with Glynn, then attempted to chip the ball over the advancing keeper, who did extremely well to scramble the ball away.
Weymouth responded quickly, forcing Paul McCarthy into a fine reaction save at the other end, as Roy O’Brien tried to break the net with a close-range pile driver from Tony Taggart’s corner.
Former Magpie Solomon Taiwo then tested McCarthy with a low drive through a crowded box, but the young stopper again got down well to hold onto the shot.
But as the half wore on it was the home side who got on top, with Nana Badu forcing visiting keeper Jason Matthews to parry a speculative effort on the half hour mark, before Hughes had a penalty shout turned down, when he appeared to be dragged down from behind.
Against the run of play, Weymouth had their best chance of the half on 35 minutes, when McCarthy miscued a clearance to the feet of Chukki Eribenne.
The midfielder raced towards goal and attempted to steer his shot into the top corner, only to be denied by a last-ditch challenge by the excellent Dominic White, and a fortunate deflection off McCarthy’s shoulder.
In the dying minutes of the half it was Weymouth who rode their luck, however, with Rob Traynor’s brilliant solo effort drifting inches wide of Matthews’ post, after the talented midfielder had waltzed past five defenders before dinking the ball over the prostrate keeper.
Badu then squandered another good chance, before Hughes missed the target with a free header in a thrilling, if slightly frustrating, grandstand finish.
Weymouth had more of the game in the second half, with Taggart almost finding the top corner with a deflected free-kick soon after the restart, and substitute Shaun Williamson going close with another deflected strike on 70 minutes.
However, it was the 78th minute substitution of Wayne Purser that told the real story of the match, as United’s rock-solid defence had denied the Terras’ classy striker even a sniff of goal.
Meanwhile, the Magpies were posing a genuine threat on the break, with Badu and Traynor both testing Matthews with low shots.
Weymouth also survived two half-decent penalty shouts for handball, both of which were adjudged to be ball to hand.
Finally, as both sets of players began to tire, the Magpies almost nicked it, after Hughes drew a foul on the edge of the Weymouth box.
Glynn stepped up and seemed to be preparing to lift a cross into the box, but instead went straight for goal.
Taken by surprise, Matthews could only stand and watch as the ball came sailing over the defensive wall to strike the outside of his post.
The whistle sounded minutes later, prompting sighs of relief from both sets of supporters, followed by enthusiastic singing from the home fans, for whom a draw represented something of a moral victory.



COMMITTED: Rob Traynor beat the keeper but his deft chip bounced inches wide. Ref:90301/14