WEYMOUTH 2 YATE TOWN 0

WEYMOUTH recorded their first pre-season victory of the new campaign at the Bob Lucas Stadium with a confident win over Craig Laird’s Yate Town.

The Terras handed home starts to new recruits Mark Cooper, Billy Lowes and Pat Baldwin, while captain Stewart Yetton, who featured for just under an hour, made his return to the side after being unavailable at Bridport.

Steve Colwell, who announced he was leaving the club in May but has returned on dual registration, was also named among the substitutes for the home side and took to the field in the second period.

During their clash with the Bluebells, now managed by Jason Matthews’ former number two Laird, defenders Jamie and Callum Laird and winger Alec Fiddes lined up against their former club.

After seeing an earlier effort thwarted, Terras skipper Yetton was not to be denied just short of the interval.

He peeled away from his man inside the area and smashed the ball into the bottom corner to put the hosts a goal up at the break.

And after replacing Yetton, Jordan Copp struck home a 62nd minute penalty to double the hosts’ advantage.

The Terras also had a goal disallowed for offside through young trialist Matt Buse late on following good work from Adam Kelly and Conor Jevon on the counter.

Assessing the clash, manager Matthews told Echosport: “I was really pleased.

“It was a good workout against one of the sides that will be up there in the league below next season.

They are the sort of team we could come up against in the FA Cup and we dictated the game very well. It was very pleasing.

“It was Pat (Baldwin’s) first game for the club and he gave us some valuable experience which we lacked last season.

“Yetts took his goal superbly and that’s why we are so determined to keep him. He gave us that energy.

“It was nice to play a home game again too and credit must go to the ground staff for getting the pitch so good as well.

“We are all moving in the right direction.”

Terras: Matthews, Cooper, Wannell, Evans, Baldwin, Brooks, Kelly, Rigg, Yetton, Sills, Lowes, Copp, Wells, Colwell, Jevon, Buse