WEYMOUTH 1

Ngalo 74

EASTLEIGH 1

Green 11

WEYMOUTH came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw with Eastleigh in their first Vanarama National League encounter of 2021 at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

After away keeper Joe McDonnell had miraculously kept out a Cody Cooke shot, Eastleigh took the lead in the 11th minute when Michael Green volleyed home.

Weymouth dominated the second half and eventually levelled despite defensive tactics from the Spitfires as Jordan Ngalo threaded a shot into the net through a crowded area.

Eastleigh came alive in the final 10 minutes, while both sides squandered free-kicks from promising positions as a draw was cemented.

Weymouth manager Brian Stock made three changes to the side that began the 4-3 loss to Torquay on Monday.

Camp returned from suspension, while Jack Hoey and Sean Shields also came into the starting XI.

Josh Wakefield and Jack Dickson were dropped to the bench while striker Christian Saydee missed out from the squad completely.

Gerard Benfield, Alefe Santos and Zaid Al-Hussaini completed the Terras' bench.

For Eastleigh, there was no place in the matchday 16 for former Weymouth winger Abdulai Baggie, but ex-Dorchester pair Tom Blair and Tom Bearwish took a place on the Spitfires’ bench.

Resuming from a pulsating 4-3 loss to Torquay, Weymouth made a fast start and were left stunned by a brilliant save in the second minute.

There was a touch of fortune about the opening, as Calvin Brooks’ deflected shot found its way to Cody Cooke whose first-time effort was somehow clawed out by keeper McDonnell.

Weymouth continued their brisk pace as Brooks saw a cross caught by McDonnell – whose early save was to gain extra significance as Eastleigh took the lead in the 11th minute.

In the visitors’ first spell of pressure, former Basingstoke winger Sam Smart’s deep ball to the back post was volleyed home by left-back Green, with Weymouth keeper Jack Bycroft unsighted by forward Tyrone Barnett.

Eastleigh set about their defensive strategies well – building on two clean sheets in their previous two games – as chances were at a premium during a tepid first half.

When an opportunity did come, Weymouth captain Josh McQuoid struck a sweet low shot from 25 yards but McDonnell again repelled the Terras’ effort.

In another rare chance, Camp was close to equalising in the 27th minute but Shields’ cross was too far in front of the unmarked centre-back.

Shields curled high and wide before Eastleigh’s top scorer Ben House nodded wide from an offside position to end an unremarkable half.

As the second half progressed into similarly defensive mode, Eastleigh’s robust formation continued to frustrate Weymouth, who had plenty of possession.

With the visitors content to sit back and press, Weymouth conjured the first opening of the half as Cooke was felled by Alex Wynter on the left edge of the box.

Jake McCarthy stepped up to take the set-piece but his effort, although powerful, was easily caught by the impressive McDonnell.

As Weymouth leant on the accelerator Shields delivered a devilish corner in that somehow bypassed the entire crowd of bodies in the box.

Camp then made a stunning block, lunging in to stop House when the Scot was well placed in the box.

Moments later, Weymouth deservedly levelled as Brooks showed fast footwork to engineer space from which to offload a pass for Ngalo, the midfielder smashing home a low, deflected strike.

Eastleigh, now jolted into coming forward, went close through a Barnett header and a deflected shot from Blair as the visitors looked to regain their lead.

Spitfires’ boss Ben Strevens brought on striker Dan Smith and winger Ryan Hill as Weymouth began to show signs of sitting back – a tactic which had proved costly in previous games.

Weymouth had a good chance late on as Ollie Harfield won a free-kick but Shields disappointingly curled straight at McDonnell.

Eastleigh flooded forward late on in search of a winner but could not create a clear opening until Smith romped inside and hammered a shot against the bar from 20 yards.

More Eastleigh pressure followed as Weymouth’s tired legs began to wobble under the strain.

Shields saw another free-kick easily dealt with after sub Dickson had been flattened and a final adrenaline spike was navigated as Green curled well wide of the near post.

Referee Lloyd Wood finally blew the whistle in the eighth minute of added time as Weymouth secured a second point against Eastleigh in the space of a week.

Terras: Bycroft, Camp, Ngalo, McCarthy, McQuoid (Dickson 78), Brooks, Hoey (Wakefield 46), Cooke, Murray (Santos 90+4), Harfield, Shields. Subs not used: Benfield, Al-Hussaini.

Eastleigh: McDonnell, Green, Miley (Smith 84), Boyce, Payne, Barnett (Hill 84), Smart (Blair 71), Wynter, Tomlinson, House, Hollands. Subs not used: Bearwish, Scorey.

Referee: Lloyd Wood