Terras suffer seven sorrow
By Nigel Biddlecombe

WEYMOUTH crashed to their heaviest defeat in a season that has now seen the Terras lose by three goals or more on 11 occasions – nearly a third of their 36 Blue Square South games this term.

Although the visitors hit the bar early on, Welling United quickly found their stride and raced into a three-goal lead by half-time.

Stephen Reed added to his growing collection of stunning goals to pull one back, but Lee Clarke got his second of the evening from the penalty spot and United added three more inside the final six minutes.

Weymouth were unchanged, although an unfit Ben Farrell sat on the bench in place of the unavailable Ben Reiffer, but the Terras were unable to repeat the heroics of the weekend and went down heavily.

Welling made the first sortie into Weymouth territory, Jake Hobbs deflecting the ball harmlessly into Tim Sandercombe’s arms, but Carl Foster hit the crossbar at the other end with a fierce drive after Ollie Tribe’s shot had been blocked.

The home side took the lead in the 17th minute when Dean Cracknell played a long ball up the touchline.

Scott Dixon and Sam Hurrell set off in pursuit but the Welling man won the race and played a terrific ball across the box, leaving Hobbs with a simple tap-in.

Reed fired wide of each upright but Welling added a second in the 30th minute when Louis Fazakerley played a ball into the danger area and Frampton hesitated just long enough for Clarke to nip in and lob the ball over the head of the advancing Sandercombe.

The home side increased their lead when Sam Hurrell collected a loose ball before running on and firing a curling drive into the right-hand corner of the goal.

Weymouth showed some fight after the restart and when Reed’s 51st-minute free-kick was not cleared Frampton was on hand to power in a strong drive. Charlie Mitten found it impossible to hold, Pierre Joseph-Dubois reacted first to the loose ball, but Mitten made amends with a brave stop.

The Terras pulled a goal back soon after when Joseph-Dubois collected Foster’s overhit cross and laid the ball to Reed, who jinked past two defenders before beating Mitten from the edge of the area.

Welling restored their three-goal cushion within two minutes when Hobbs was pulled back by Cameron Mawer. Although the tussle had commenced outside the box, the referee immediately awarded a penalty, which Clarke blasted straight down the middle and past the diving Sandercombe.

Mawer made amends in the 81st minute when he cleared Fazak-erley’s shot off the line, but that only delayed Welling’s late flurry of goals.

Cracknell rose unchallenged to power Hobbs’ corner into the net in the 84th minute, before Hobbs turned provider again to set up Healy.

The latter’s shot squeezed under the diving Sandercombe, before Michael Bakare finally completed the torture when he clipped the ball over Sandercombe with just a minute left on the clock.

Although Weymouth finished well beaten, the small group of travelling Terras’ fans agreed that it was just too much to ask of such a young side that they produce a repeat of the display they had given a few days earlier at Chelmsford.