WEYMOUTH 2 SALISBURY 4

WEYMOUTH suffered a loss in their first home game of the season and still remain without a point in Hampshire League Division One.

The Seasiders were undone by a well-drilled Salisbury side that had just been demoted from the Regional Leagues.

Frustratingly for the hosts, they were clearly the better team in the first half but, in hindsight, would have been disappointed to only lead 2-1 at the break.

Their first goal came after a sustained period of pressure in which an energised Weymouth dominated possession and hassled the visitors off the ball.

Christopher Fry opened the scoring with his second of the season. The young forward pounced on a deflection off the Salisbury keeper after Patrick May’s initial strike.

The visitors soon equalised around midway through the first half but after very few attacks of their own.

As was to prove the downfall for Weymouth, Salisbury’s first goal came from a drag flick from a penalty corner, while centre-back Matthew Underhill was sat in the sin-bin for a reckless challenge.

Three of Salisbury’s four goals would be scored in almost identical fashion.

Weymouth restored their lead two minutes before half-time with a penalty corner of their own.

The ball was slipped left to Dan Bowles who looked to pick out Fry or Luke Drewitt for a deflection at the right post.

Instead the ball deflected off a Salisbury defender as he tried to intercept and the goal was awarded to Bowles.

The visitors upped their game in the second half and allowed the hosts little of the freedom of possession in defence as in the first.

They pressed hard from the restart and Weymouth soon showed signs of fatigue, not helped by their lack of sufficient numbers on the bench.

The Seasiders were also guilty of trying to carry the ball through the middle of the pitch and Salisbury were able to close down players and turn over possession far too often.

Weymouth also suffered another suspension early in the second half.

Their other centre-back, Michael Westlake, made an error in judgment in an otherwise impressive performance.

He was guilty of a deliberate foul to break down a Salisbury attack and was sin-binned for five minutes.

Two of the visitors’ three second-half goals came from drag flicks by their skipper into the side-netting inside the left post, which would have required a remarkable save from Weymouth keeper David Civil to deny a goal.

The other came when left back Matthew Lawes was dispossessed carrying the ball out of defence and a shot was struck accurately past Civil.

With five minutes to go, Weymouth were afforded a lifeline as two Salisbury defenders were suspended after they both deliberately fouled May as he dribbled into the final third.

However, Weymouth were unable to make the most of their two-man advantage and, despite sustained pressure on the Salisbury defence, the game ended without further goals.

Weymouth play their third game of the season this Saturday away at Gosport, another of the three sides that failed to take a point from their first two games of the season.

Man of the match: Michael Westlake

Goals: Christopher Fry, Daniel Bowles

Green cards: Matthew Underhill, Simon Harvey

Yellow cards: Matthew Underhill, Michael Westlake