WEYMOUTH 2

Sesay 9, Rose 47

HAMPTON & RICHMOND 1

Wood 55

MUCH-IMPROVED Weymouth claimed a potentially crucial 2-1 win over Hampton & Richmond Borough in the Vanarama National League South.

The Terras were untouchable in the first half, with nine clear chances but only David Sesay’s ninth-minute goal to show for their dominance.

Ahkeem Rose made it 2-0 with a second-half header but Tommy Wood’s neat finish set up a nerve-shredding crescendo with Weymouth resisting heavy pressure to book the three points.

Looking to end a five-game losing streak, Weymouth boss Bobby Wilkinson made three changes to the side that began the 3-1 loss at Oxford City on Saturday.

READ MORE: Weymouth 2-1 Hampton & Richmond - how it happened

In came Scott Rees, returning from suspension, while Sesay was fit again after an ankle injury.

Tom Blair retook his spot on the wing following a groin injury to Keelan O'Connell.

Dan Matsuzaka and Harvey Slade dropped to the bench, joined by Luke Nippard, Matt Buse and Will Dawes.

Hari McCoy was the second omission from the 16, with Tom Bearwish again taking the captaincy from Xander McBurnie.

In the opposite dugout was new Hampton & Richmond manager Mel Gwinnett, who played 67 times in goal for the Terras between 1988 and 1990, keeping 17 clean sheets.

And the former Weymouth custodian will have been immediately concerned at how easily Weymouth came forward in the opening exchanges.

Blair had already frightened the Beavers’ defence with a pacy run and Ahkeem Rose’s downward header was initially blocked before keeper Alan Julian hooked the rebound clear with Nathan Carlyle primed to pounce.

With Weymouth utterly dominant, the Terras took a deserved lead in the ninth minute.

Blair was again the instigator, his run and low cross from the left evading everyone in the box bar Sesay, whose first effort was brilliantly saved by Julian.

Sesay was well placed to control the rebound and then blasted an emphatic finish into the roof of the net, more worthy of a striker than a full-back, for his maiden Terras goal.

Hampton responded when Tommy Wood glanced a header wide but Weymouth continued to raid forward.

Julian superbly tipped over Carlyle’s looping header and Sesay was denied with a strong claim for a penalty after an apparent trip.

Julian then spilled a Bearwish grubber, his blushes spared by a fast-reacting away defence, before two major chances for the Terras in the 18th minute.

Rose poked forward to put Ash clean through and he brought a solid stop from Julian, with Rose lashing wide from an awkward position on the rebound with the goal unattended.

Tommy Davis was next to repel the Terras, blocking McBurnie’s goalbound header, and Luke Jenkins then nodded over a free-kick.

Despite the Terras’ grip on the game, they had only one goal to show for their superiority and the Beavers nearly drew level twice before half-time when Connor Kurran-Brown sent a curler wide and Wood flicked another header beyond the far post.

However, it took just 93 seconds after the restart for Weymouth to score with a ‘love train’ corner routine.

Blair’s delivery floated to the back post where Rose peeled off his marker and headed in via a sliced attempted clearance on the line.

Jenkins then saw a header repelled off the line before the Beavers scored with their first shot on target, Wood diverting a low cross from the left past Oualah into the far corner.

Suddenly, Weymouth looked jittery as Kurran-Brown forced a big save from Oualah and sub Daniel Rowe’s header dipped onto the bar.

Weymouth felt Dan Wishart should have seen red for barging the clean-through Ash off the ball but their appeals were waved away.

Hampton & Richmond continued to push on and somehow did not level when Carlyle fluffed his lines with a casual prod at a low cross, only for Jake Gray to inexplicably blaze over six yards out.

Weymouth began to sit back as Kurran-Brown worked Oualah again, prior to Dawes replacing Rees on 76 minutes.

Kurran-Brown fired his third shot at goal in the 88th minute as Hampton stacked the box, met by determined Weymouth defence in a tense finish.

Weymouth were given extra breathing space by an offside in the second of four added minutes but a cynical foul by Bearwish on sub Brandon Barzey gave Hampton one last chance in the 96th minute.

Wishart stepped up but could only slam his free-kick into the wall to invite the full-time whistle as Weymouth vociferously celebrated their second home league win of the campaign.

Terras: Oualah, Jenkins, Carlyle, Francis, Rees (Dawes 76), McBurnie, Sesay, Blair, Bearwish, Rose, Ash (Buse 87). Subs not used: Matsuzaka, Nippard, Slade.

Hampton & Richmond: Julian, Inman (Rowe 27), Fernandez (Barzey 50), Whittingham, Wood (Ilic 77), Gray, Kurran-Brown, Deadfield, Wishart, Dunne, Davis. Subs not used: Johnson, Whittaker.

Referee: Steven Hughes

Attendance: 626