Rovers run riot

8:39am Tuesday 26th August 2008

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WEYMOUTH'S unbeaten start to the Blue Square Premier season came to a crunching halt at a wind-swept New Lawn yesterday afternoon as they were heavily defeated by Forest Green Rovers.

The Terras fielded an unchanged line-up for the fifth successive game and certainly started well.

Stuart Beavon was fouled and the striker got on the end of Ryan Williams' free-kick, but was unable to direct his overhead kick.

Another free-kick, this one taken by Kevin Sandwith, found Cameron Mawer but his header was wide of the target.

Richard Barnard easily held a headed effort from Andy Mangan and, as the home side began to press there was panic in the visiting penalty area as Bernard was forced to save again from the same player before Scott Doe and Sandwith both put their bodies on the line to block follow up efforts from ex-Terra Conal Platt and Lee Fowler.

Forest Green's opening goal came in the 35th minute when Paul Stonehouse made ground on the flank before firing into the danger area.

Two home men stepped over the ball - Platt the second of these - to leave Jonathan Smith in acres of space and with plenty of time to pick his spot and score from eight yards.

Platt fired high, Barnard saved at the feet of Mangan and Alex Lawless shot wide as the interval approached with the only opportunity created by the Terras falling to Michael Malcolm after Chris McPhee and Beavon had created the opening for him, however, the ball was cleared just as he shaped to shoot.

Weymouth started the second period the better of the sides as Ryan Robinson was called upon to save from McPhee and the ex-Ebbsfleet man might have done better when he combined with Beavon to create an opportunity only to fire his shot well wide.

The visitors equalised in the 71st minute when Williams' corner was only half cleared and the Terras' club captain was able to return the ball into the penalty area, where Doe was on hand to net from close range.

Rovers introduced Adriano Rigoglioso as a substitute and he it was that turned the game in the home side's favour with two goals in a six-minute spell.

In the 76th minute Sam Cutler failed to clear and Williams, in attempting to deal with the danger, gave the ball away in his own penalty area.

Fowler gratefully accepted the gift and fed Rigoglioso who drilled home from eight yards.

The home side put the game out of the Terras' reach in the 82nd minute when referee Hey-wood penalised Doe.

Rigoglioso stepped up to fire a free-kick from 35 yards which squirmed beneath Barnard.

Weymouth then had more shots on target in the final 10 minutes than during the rest of the match and McPhee seeing an effort cleared with home keeper Robinson saving twice from Beavon and once from his namesake Anton.

Rovers were not to be denied, however, and completed the rout in the third minute of added time when a corner was allowed to run through to Fowler, who unleashed a shot from the edge of the area. Barnard was unable to react as the shot clipped the underside of the crossbar and went in.