WEYMOUTH 2

Odubade 70, Baggie 84

OXFORD CITY 1

Fleet 90+3

WEYMOUTH gave their fans some much-needed Christmas cheer in the Vanarama National League South with a hard-fought, if not polished, 2-1 defeat of a mid-table Oxford City side that ended a run of three straight losses.

The hosts fashioned many openings in a dominant first half but all too often they failed to find the target and, from their only attempts on target in the second half, they finally surged in front thanks to precise finishes from both Yemi Odubade and Abdulai Baggie.

There were four changes to the Terras’ starting XI from the side that lost 1-0 to St. Albans a week earlier.

Yeovil midfield loanee Tom Whelan was handed an immediate start while Baggie, Brett Williams and Ade Olumuyiwa were all promoted from the substitutes’ bench, the latter making his first league start.

Club captain Josh McQuoid was not listed in the match-day squad while both Josh Wakefield and Ben Thomson dropped down to the bench.

The game began at a good pace and the Terras wasted little time getting onto the front foot and inside three minutes a first opening arrived.

Odubade won a free-kick 22 yards from goal and skipper Jake McCarthy sent his attempt sailing a mere foot over the bar.

After that the hosts rattled in several more efforts but could not quite find the target with any of them.

First, Whelan clipped a ball over the top for Baggie, who span his marker on the left side of the area only to see his shot fly over the far post.

On nine minutes Brett Williams struck a half-volleyed snapshot that flashed just wide of the far post, Baggie then saw his shot deflected for the game’s first corner following good work from Odubade who had spun his marker before squaring to the winger.

A minute later and Olumuyiwa’s low drive was deflected wide and it was not until the 21st minute that the Terras enjoyed their first shot on target after visiting skipper Joe Oastler had been booked for a foul on Odubade.

From the resulting free-kick, Ollie Harfield sent a left-footer curling goalwards only for keeper Craig King to tip wide for another corner, from which Whelan fired in a firm shot that was blocked.

Three minutes later, City finally registered their first attempt on goal but Zac McEachran’s speculative 30-yarder lost all its pace with a deflection making it an easy gather for Calum Ward.

From that moment play moved swiftly to the other end where King was forced to pull off a magnificent save to thwart Williams.

Odubade’s follow-up was then blocked out by a defender before the third ball fell to Brennan Camp who could only loop a header towards goal that was easily plucked into his grasp by King.

Unfortunately, right on the half-hour, play was held-up for five minutes as referee Marc Whalley received treatment for an injury and had to be replaced by an assistant.

The stoppage seemed to break up the strong momentum Weymouth had built up and they clearly lost their rhythm over the final 15 minutes of the half.

Hoops’ Jaanai Gordon tried his luck from range but it was a routine collect for Ward and then McCarthy’s neat approach work ended with a Baggie daisy-cutter from 25 yards flying just wide as the action petered out going into half-time.

The game still struggled to come back to life early in the second period with the hosts still looking a little flat as McCarthy failed to connect with an Odubade corner just before the latter fired a dismal attempt high out of the ground.

Equally wayward was Kyran Wiltshire’s effort from a Danny Rowe pull-back but the game was looking a lot more open.

Then, a really good chance came for City following a fast break from the halfway line that ended with substitute Kyran Lofthouse bringing an unorthodox save by Ward who adjusted his body just in time to block with his legs before gathering the loose ball.

Following that let-off the game swung back in the hosts’ favour and they got the much-needed opener just four minutes later.

Harfield’s ball down the left-side of the box ricocheted up and, seizing on the opportunity, Odubade outmuscled a defender before smashing home inside King’s front post to net with the first home shot on target of the second half.

Two minutes later McCarthy headed a deep Harfield corner narrowly wide at the back post, Harfield then flashed a free-kick across the six-yard box only to hit Williams in the groin and fall wide at the back post, before the hosts appeared to make the game safe with a vital second goal.

Again Harfield was the architect down the left flank as he threaded a fabulous ball that unleashed Baggie who, outpacing his marker Wiltshire, cut inside before neatly tucking the ball into the far corner.

Despite this setback the Hoops actually finished the game with a bit of a flurry as Fleet teed up Gordon who managed to find the side-netting from close in, moments before the former found a consolation with a magnificent strike out of the blue from 25 yards.

Luckily for Weymouth though that goal came a little too late for City to go on and steal a point and so the Terras had three points to celebrate following a run of three losses.

Terras: Ward, Harfield, Sherring, McCarthy, Baggie, Odubade (Murray 75), Olumuyiwa (Ngalo 63), Whelan, Williams (Thomson 88), Camp, Hobson. Subs not used: Rees, Wakefield.

Oxford City: King, Ashby, Moore-Azille, Oastler, Wiltshire, Fleet, Benyon (Owusu 79), McEachran (George 79), Berkoe, Rowe (Lofthouse 54), Gordon. Subs not used: Jefford, Tapp.

Attendance: 1, 131

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