Weymouth fight all the way against champions-elect (From Dorset Echo)

Weymouth fight all the way against champions-elect

6:24pm Saturday 6th March 2010 in

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WEYMOUTH 1 Llewellyn 75

NEWPORT COUNTY 3 Morgan 3, Rose 76, Foley 84

WEYMOUTH made runaway Blue Square South leaders Newport County sweat profusely before the Welshmen's class eventually told in the latter stages.

It looked as if the Exiles would rack up a cricket score in this bottom-versus-top encounter when Kerry Morgan opened the scoring, but the Terras kept the visitors at bay and even drew level 15 minutes from time.

However, Danny Rose put Newport back in front seconds after Josh Llewellyn's equaliser and Sam Foley hit a scorcher of a third goal.

Jake Reid, Weymouth's top scorer, was left out of the squad after agreeing a move away to help the Terras cut costs – he was replaced by Luke Benbow – while Jordan Rose came in for Nathan Davies, who was not allowed to play against his parent club as part of the two sides' loan agreement.

The home stands were as empty as they have been in years and the travelling support comfortably outnumbered those in claret and blue.

It was the Terras' Stephen Reed who actually had the first shot, screwing his half-volley way off target, but it didn't take long for County to assert their expected dominance, taking the lead through Morgan.

Weymouth's defence evaporated into thin air and ex-Terras Stuart Douglas set up Morgan to slide home inside the opening 180 seconds of the match.

Tim Sandercombe had to block from Foley and the same player then side-footed wide before Morgan and Reed exchanged off-target long-range efforts at either end.

A brief spell of Terras' dominance was broken when they failed to deal with a Morgan free-kick and Sandercombe had to be sharp to react and deny Paul Cochlin from point-blank range .

The home side were nearly back in the game when Jamie McGuinness released Benbow through the middle, only to be felled by Martyn Giles on the edge of the penalty area.

Much to the disgust of the Wessex Stadium faithful, referee Daniel Cook deemed that Giles played the ball and booked Reed for the on-loan midfielder's appeal.

Llewellyn drove into the side netting before referee Cook was called upon to make another tough decision when he penalised Scott Brice for tangling with Douglas just a couple of minutes later.

To his credit, Cook spotted that Cameron Mawer was covering and only booked Brice, despite the calls of the Newport fans for him to be shown red.

The resulting free-kick so nearly ended in County doubling their advantage as Sandercombe saved Rose's set piece from 20 yards before Gary Warren hooked the rebound on to the crossbar.

Sandercombe had to be alert to save at the feet of Douglas after Morgan broke clear and looked to have set up a certain second.

After a tentative start to the second half, Weymouth went closest to scoring when Matt Groves chested the ball down and volleyed goalwards, only for goalkeeper Glyn Thompson and Foley to combine and keep it out on the line, with Benbow acrobatically volleying over the follow up.

That persuaded the leaders' manager, Dean Holdsworth, to make changes, bringing on Blue Square South's leading marksmen Craig Reid and Japanese midfielder Takumi Ake.

Reid immediately made a difference and helped stretch the game, which allowed Foley to break down the left and cross to Morgan, but with the goalscorer seemingly destined to score Scott Dixon somehow got his body in the way on the line.

Foley headed straight at Sandercombe before the home custodian made a top drawer save, stretching an arm out to deny Morgan.

But suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the Terras found themselves level when Thompson raced out of his goal to head clear, but only only as far as Llewellyn, who guided a lob back over the goalkeeper's head and into the net.

Parity lasted just a matter of seconds as Foley escaped down the Newport right and crossed the ball over Sandercombe, allowing Rose to nod home from inside the six-yard box.

Man-of-the-match Foley wrapped up the points for the champions-elect just six minutes from time, driving home from nearly 30 yards, putting a gloss on yet another win for the rampant Welsh outfit.

Terras: Sandercombe, Harris, Dixon, Mawer, Brice (c), Rose (Joseph-Dubois 81), McGuinness, Reed, Benbow, Llewellyn, Groves. Subs not used: Frampton, Foster, Tribe, Richardson.

Newport: Thompson, Bignot, Giles (Ake 55), Collins, Warren (c), Cochlin, Rose, Rogers, Douglas (Reid 55), Foley, Morgan (Turk 83). Subs not used: Todd, Blackburn.