TROJANS 2 WEYMOUTH 5

WEYMOUTH have moved up to third place in the Hampshire One table after a fine win at Trojans.

Aaron Wilkinson bagged a hat-trick for the buoyant Seasiders, while the other strikes came from Simon Harvey and Andrew Stiles.

Defender Roly Gill was unavailable this week so David Eames came back into the team at left-back to replace him.

The match started at a fast pace as Trojans looked to press high and pen the Weymouth defence into their own area.

The Weymouth defence absorbed the pressure well and put together some fine short passes to cut apart the Trojans’ press.

Midway through the first half, the visitors took the lead when they were awarded a penalty corner, which Patrick May drag flicked low to the keeper's right, the initial shot was saved but Harvey was on hand to sweep home from close range.

Weymouth doubled their lead five minutes later when Daniel Bowles picked up the ball in his own half, seeing no passes on he twisted and turned himself through four Trojans players, finding himself on the attacking 23-yard line where he fired in a cross to the back post for Wilkinson to tap home.

The second half began brightly for Weymouth as they extended their lead through the familiar combination of Bowles and Wilkinson.

Bowles picked up the ball midway into the Trojans half and played a magnificently disguised pass that deceived the whole defence into moving to the front post but picked out Wilkinson at the vacant back post area to tap home again.

Trojans fought back to cut the lead when they won a penalty corner and converted after Weymouth failed to clear the danger.

The hosts sensed they could take something from the game and stepped up their play.

But it was all in vain as the Weymouth defence held firm and then countered to regain a three-goal lead.

With the home team pressing high, Harvey played a long diagonal ball from right back to Patrick May running clear on the left. May showed a deft touch to jink past a couple of defenders and then square the ball to Wilkinson who slapped into the open goal to seal his hat-trick.

The game was put beyond doubt minutes later when left-back David Eames found himself on a rare foray forward and crossed the ball into Stiles who coolly deflected home from the penalty spot as he was closed down by the Trojans’ goalkeeper.

Trojans battled hard for the last 10 minutes and got another consolation from a penalty corner.

A goalmouth scramble may have bought Trojans to within touching distance if it had not been for keeper David Civil pulling off a fine save on the line.

The Seasiders are again on the road tomorrow against in-form Portsmouth University.

Man of the match: Aaron Wilkinson