WEYMOUTH 2

Bearwish 34, Ash 80 pen

EBBSFLEET UNITED 3

Poleon 2, Tanner 50, 90+9

WEYMOUTH were sent to consecutive Vanarama National League South defeats as Ebbsfleet scored a 99th-minute winner at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Ebbsfleet twice led with a goal in each half as Dom Poleon and Tanner had goals cancelled out by Weymouth’s Tom Bearwish and Brad Ash, before the hosts’ late heartbreak.

Weymouth boss David Oldfield made just one change to the starting XI that began the 3-1 defeat to Tonbridge Angels last time out, with Claudio Ofosu replacing the benched Ash.

There was also a place in the matchday squad for new loan signing Noa Boutin, the teenage left-back coming across from Bournemouth to join Ash in the dugout.

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With Weymouth seeing chairman Ian White and director Mark Palmer resign in midweek amid financial stress, the Terras were in need of a tonic on the pitch.

However, they were 1-0 down inside two minutes as former Leeds forward Dom Poleon poked a tame shot at keeper Bert White, who somehow allowed the ball to slip through his grasp and into the net.

Weymouth looked a little stunned by the incident and took another ten minutes to regain their composure for the first spell of pressure.

Ofosu was found in the box, only for Ebbsfleet to clear. Weymouth’s next wave picked out Keelan O’Connell and he was brought to ground by a hefty challenge from Joseph Martin.

Play was waved on and Tom Blair won a corner, which was cleared after Martin received yellow from referee Ross Martin.

Blair was a constant menace with his pace but was too often guilty of ignoring supporting teammates, the first such instance coming in the 20th minute after a promising run.

Cam Murray was booked for his own poor challenge on 22 minutes and the players had a well-earned drinks break soon afterwards with temperatures reaching 33 degrees in the shade.

With Weymouth looking to have the edge on pace over Ebbsfleet throughout their team, the Terras were rewarded in their next attractive attack.

Patient passing opened space for Blair on the right and he surged into the area before sliding a low cross for Bearwish to score from six yards.

For all their promise up front, Weymouth still appeared shaky at the back as Harry Kyprianou trod on the ball and then barrelled into the onrushing Ebbsfleet forward, somehow avoiding a foul.

And there was redemption for White two minutes from the break when a well-worked Ebbsfleet move created a chance for Poleon, whose fierce shot was parried by the teenager.

Birthday boy Dan Matsuzaka was on hand to distract Rakish Bingham enough to put off the striker as he followed up, blazing over from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

Weymouth had their own huge chance before the break, O’Connell working tirelessly to intercept a pass and steam forward 60 yards before offloading to Ofosu, whose control and finish ended with the ball flying out of the stadium.

Weymouth began the second half on top as O’Connell’s claims for a handball were waved away.

However, Ebbsfleet scored against the run of play as Craig Tanner curled a delicious free-kick home after Nathan Carlyle’s needless foul.

Weymouth responded when the outstanding O’Connell finds Bearwish, who was denied by a flying Mark Cousins.

O’Connell, easily the Terras’ best player, then supplied Blair and his touch to Murray enabled the midfielder to fire at Cousins and Luke Nippard to rifle the follow-up inches over.

Ex-Torquay man O’Connell was repelled by a brave point-blank Cousins save before the hosts subbed Blair and Kyprianou for Ash and Boutin respectively.

Despite the fresh legs, Ebbsfleet created the next chances as Omari Sterling-James worried White with a 25-yard snapshot after Tanner dragged an effort wide.

Weymouth always looked dangerous and Ash had the desired impact after coming on, drawing a foul in the box from Sterling-James after O’Connell’s shot was parried by Cousins.

Ash stepped up and duly bulleted his shot into the bottom corner for 2-2, the Bob Lucas Stadium crowd erupting.

Weymouth were now firmly on top as O’Connell forced another good save from Cousins before Ofosu rippled the side-netting.

A clash of heads between Matsuzaka and McBurnie saw the skipper come off worse with a cut, adding more stoppage-time to the clock as George Ward came on to replace him.

Carlyle was guilty of letting the ball bounce for Poleon, who scuffed wide from six yards, before Ofosu shanked over at the other end.

Yet it was Ebbsfleet who stole it at the death as the unmarked Tanner curled home another beauty into the top corner in the 99th minute.

Weymouth had one last chance in the 101st minute as O’Connell won a free-kick, only for Ash to thump it against the wall and blaze the rebound over, prompting the final whistle.

Terras: White, Nippard, Kyprianou (Boutin 72), McBurnie (Ward 90+2), Matsuzaka, Carlyle, O’Connell, Bearwish, Blair (Ash 72), Ofosu, Murray. Subs not used: Bruton, Seddon.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, O’Neill, Martin (Wright 46), Sterling-James, N’Guessan, Bingham (Coulthirst 85), Tanner, Poleon, Cundle (McQueen 73), Solly, Hollis. Subs not used: Haigh, Edser.

Referee: Ross Martin

Attendance: 753