CIRENCESTER 1 WEYMOUTH 2

A FABULOUS volley from Stewart Yetton on the hour was a goal worthy of winning any game and it won this cracking tie at the Corinium Stadium to keep the Terras’ FA Cup ambitions alive and well.

Overall, a highly professional performance from Weymouth added another £7,500 into the FA Cup winnings kitty and ensured a potentially lucrative fourth qual-ifying round tie for the club’s fans to look forward to.

Man of the match Yetton fired the visitors into a deserved lead midway though the first half in sunny Gloucestershire.

However, the Centurions hit back through a bullet header from Chris Holland just four minutes after the break and so it needed that wonder strike from Yetton to book a place in the next round for the Terras.

Weymouth boss Brendon King made two changes to the side that began the 2-1 league defeat at Biggleswade Town last time out, with Sam Poole and Dave Allen coming in for Michael Walker and Mark Ford.

There was also a change in system with Ben Joyce lining up behind the front two of Yetton and Luke Burbidge in a 3-5-2 formation.

Walker and keeper Matt Cafer dropped down to get some minutes in the reserves while Ford had to be content with a place on the bench.

Apart from a nervy moment for keeper Jason Matthews in the third minute when he could only get a weak punch on a dangerous Shane Anson centre before it was cleared, there was very little for the visitors to deal with in a dominant first half-hour.

After 10 minutes, a Joyce effort was deflected for the first of two consecutive corners, with the second from Scott Walker causing high anxiety for the hosts as it curled straight on to the middle of the crossbar but, Sam Poole, on the stretch, couldn’t connect to force the ball home.

Then, in the 19th minute, the Terras threatened again as an inviting cross from Allen was headed inches over the top by Poole before the breakthrough was made just two minutes later.

Marauding his way to the right byeline, Burbidge was able to fire across a low centre, and there was Yetton to strike under the despairing dive of Glyn Garner from close range.

In the latter stages of the first half, the Centurions did start to make some inroads into the Weymouth half but the defence were easily mopping up the high balls.

On the half hour, Danny Clay nodded away a Steve Davies’ corner at the near post before Lee Smith’s free-kick was firmly headed clear by Poole as the Terras kept a tight grip on their slender lead.

In the 41st minute, a slick counter-attack saw Allen race on to a neat Yetton flick down the right channel but Scott Walker spoiled a great move by volleying Allen’s cross high over the bar.

Then, a minute before half-time, Burbidge nearly doubled the advantage when he headed Scott Walker’s centre from the left side a tad too high.

It had been a highly satisfying and solid first 45 minutes for the visitors but all the good work was undone just four minutes after the restart when Cirencester hit back with an unexpected equaliser.

The home side had clearly felt the wrath of boss Brian Hughes at the break and they came out all guns blazing with new found belief during the early second- half exchanges.

And this was rewarded when Smith’s corner was met by a towering header from Holland that beat Matthews all ends up.

We had a real open cup tie on our hands now and it took the Terras a good 10 minutes to survive a barrage of pressure and recover their composure after such a shattering set-back.

But that recovery began right on the hour mark in the best possible fashion as Yetton calmed everybody, including around 100 travelling fans, with a terrific finish to complete a memorable brace.

Poole played a magnificent ball into the left channel for Yetton to chest down and volley first-time a left-footed 25-yarder that scream-ed well beyond the diving Gar- ner.

The Terras assumed control again from that point and a Joyce howitzer from 30 yards on 69 minutes just cleared the bar as they sought a killer third goal.

Four minutes later and the hosts rallied when substitute Aiden Bennett’s effort was deflected for a corner from which there was very nearly saw a carbon-copy of Town’s equaliser.

From Smith’s corner, Holland was again able to power a header goalwards but this time an alert Matthews was able to tip the ball over.

The visitors still had to survive more pressure as Ellis Dunton thrashed a centre across the six-yard box that Matthews dived out to smother before the keeper proved his worth again by punching clear a deep Smith free-kick through a crowd of players.

Weymouth though, had one last chance to kill the tie stone dead but Allen, slipped in by Joyce, could only fire high over under pressure with five minutes remaining but it hardly mattered as the Terras held firm for a place in the final qualifying round.

Cirencester: Garner, Anson, Beedon, Mortimer-Jones, Holland, Henry, Dunton, Hooper (Bennett 69), Collier (Bevan 69), Davies, Smith. Subs not used: Prictor, Bromley.

Terras: Matthews 8, McConnell 8, Wells 8, Clay 7, N Walker 7, Poole 8, Burbidge 8 (Ford 77, 6), Allen 7, Yetton 9, Joyce 8, S Walker 8. Subs not used: Groves, Symes, Winsper, Smith, King.

Referee: Matt Wilkes

Bookings: Cirencester – Dunton (foul 34), Anson (foul 83) Weymouth – None

Attendance: 366