WEYMOUTH ROCKED BY QUICKFIRE DOUBLE

Paul Armstrong and Kevin Hemsley secured victory at the Broadfield Stadium to give the Sussex side a one point advantage over Weymouth at the top of the table.

But the Terras, who pulled back a consolation effort through Steve Tully late on, can feel unlucky not to have earned at least a draw in a game watched by a stadium record crowd of 4,522.

Steve Claridge's men threw everything at their hosts during the frantic closing stages but could not find a way past Reds keeper Andy Little.

And it was the player-boss himself who wasted the best chance to grab a point, heading over from just six yards with time and space on his side.

There was precious little to choose between the title rivals and on this showing it'll take a brave man to predict who will be celebrating in 12 league games time.

The Terras, cheered on by more than 850 travelling fans, looked like they would be the team sitting pretty at 4.45pm for long periods.

But once Armstrong steered Crawley ahead on 50 minutes, they lost concentration for just enough time for the home side to take advantage.

Skipper Hemsley quickly made it two to leave the Terras a proverbial mountain to climb in the closing stages.

The start was delayed by 15 minutes and once things got underway it was a predictably cagey affair.

Chances were at a premium although Crawley's Charlie Macdonald wasted a good opening six minutes in.

The lively striker latched on to Hemsley's nod down but his shot was tame and keeper Jason Matthews gathered.

Moments later his Weymouth counterpart Luke Nightingale went close.

The excellent Lee Philpott pressured the home defence into a mistake, allowing Nightingale to get in a shot that was deflected over by Mo Harkin.

With the clash being played in a cracking atmosphere, neither side could make a real impression.

In fact the only major incidents of note in the first half were when former Wimbledon midfielder Peter Fear tamely shot at Matthews from 12 yards, while Weymouth's Steve Tully had a penalty appeal for handball on Sean Hankin turned down.

If the first half was a tight, scrappy affair, the second was absorbing.

The clash really sparked into life on 49 minutes when Dan Marney, who rejected a loan move to Weymouth earlier this season, had an effort ruled out for offside.

But less than 60 seconds later, Crawley were celebrating again and this time the goal stood.

Macdonald did the leg work by sending over a great cross from the left by-line that under-pressure Matthews only

weakly fisted to the edge of the area. There was Armstrong to

coolly slot home through a ruck of players.

Shell-shocked Weymouth fell further behind less than four minutes later when the superb Marney wriggled past Philpott and Graeme Power down the left.

He cut inside and cracked in a shot that Matthews got a hand too but not enough to prevent Hemsley running in and tapping home from close range.

In a driving rain and hail storm, the Terras pressed with a sense of real urgency after that and Tully, Nightingale and Shaun Wilkinson all saw efforts fizz wide.

Other than the odd defensive scare, the closing exchanges was one way traffic for the visitors.

Tully deservedly got them back in it on 79 minutes after one of the wing back's frequent raids.

The swift break saw Philpott and Claridge combine to find Nightingale whose perfect pass sent Tully away and he tucked home.

That gave the Dorset side fresh hope and they threw everything at it in a bid to

rescue a point.

Probably their best chance came from another excellent Philpott delivery, finding Claridge unmarked six yards out.

The veteran striker looked odds on to score but somehow his header floated over the top, leaving Claridge holding his head in his hands.

Crawley keeper Andy Little did well to turn over Hutchinson's snap-shot moments later.

And the home side survived another heartstopping moment in the fifth minute of stoppage time when Nightingale headed firmly straight at Little.