WEYMOUTH 5

Bearwish 18, Goodship 38, 45, Rollinson 72, Wabo 82

SOUTHAMPTON B 0

WEYMOUTH turned in their best performance of pre-season, thumping Southampton B 5-0 at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Saints, the reigning Premier League 2 Division 2 champions, were run ragged by Weymouth's pressing game.

Tom Bearwish's header and a Brandon Goodship double put Weymouth 3-0 up at half-time.

Joel Rollinson added a well-taken fourth and Norman Wabo completed the scoring on a superb night for the Terras.

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Before play began, there was a well-observed minute’s applause for former Weymouth treasurer Roger Mutch, who recently passed away.

And the football from Weymouth in the first half was also a fitting tribute as the Terras, wearing their new yellow away kit, outplayed their opponents.

Southampton seemed uneasy with their tactic of playing out from the back, allowing Weymouth to hound them into frequent turnovers of possession.

Goodship had a shot hooked off the line in the first minute by Jem Hewlett in a sign of what was to come for the Saints.

The St Mary’s side were pickpocketed twice more inside the opening eight minutes by Keelan O’Connell, leading to Rollinson’s free-kick drawing a catch by ex-Man City keeper Josh McNamara.

Bearwish was next to retrieve possession, only to blaze over, and Matt Carson was forced into a goal-saving challenge on the impressive Dan Roberts, with Max Hemmings heading at goal seconds later.

On 15 minutes, Rollinson shot wide from 20 yards after his press won the ball. Almost inevitably, Weymouth led three minutes later.

One-touch football allowed O’Connell to cross and Bearwish floated a looping header into the top corner beyond McNamara, signed from Manchester City only three weeks ago.

Saints’ first attack of note came in the 24th minute when the lively Thierry Small won a corner and, after pinball in the box, Alex Stepien-Iwumene stabbed over.

Small was easily Southampton’s best player in the first half and he skinned Teddy Howe to create Saints’ next chance, only to blast high and wide.

Weymouth’s second goal showed Small’s poor finish up as Goodship thundered home a volley after neat hold-up play and a delicious cross by Roberts.

Roberts was himself highly impressive and combined again with Goodship for Weymouth’s third goal.

Leo Hamblin won the ball back on the byline, fed Roberts and the striker then teed up Goodship to sweep home into the far corner.

Weymouth made three changes at the break and took off captain Tom Bearwish after he appeared to sustain a knock, plus Howe and Hemmings.

Josh McQuoid, Calvin Brooks and Scott Rees were introduced but it was new signing Jordon Thompson who had Weymouth’s next chance, heading a Rollinson corner at Saints’ sub keeper Adli Mohamed.

Southampton conjured their first shot on target in the 51st minute when their sub winger poked at Gerard Benfield, forcing the keeper into a sprawling stop to his left.

But Weymouth nearly added a stylish fourth, Roberts nonchalantly flicking O’Connell through and producing a good save from Mohamed.

Substitutions from both sides slowed the game somewhat but Weymouth were quickest to regain their momentum and were rewarded for their press once more in the 72nd minute.

Rollinson was the beneficiary, intercepting a stray pass and cutting inside before drilling into the bottom-left corner.

Weymouth handed keeper Harry Dillon ten minutes, resting Benfield, and seconds later they had a fifth goal when sub Norman Wabo found the far corner.

Southampton’s miserable evening was summed up when their sub right-back blazed a woeful free-kick into the stand in the last action of the game.

Terras: Benfield (Dillon 81), Howe (C Brooks 46), Hamblin, Cheshire (Rowan 64), Thompson, Hemmings (McQuoid 46), O’Connell (Monk 64), Bearwish (Rees 46), Roberts (Wabo 64), Goodship, Rollinson.

Saints B: McNamara, Davis, Hewlett, Bailey, Carson, Squires, Edwards, Stepien-Iwumene, Pearce, Finnigan, Small. Subs: Lett, Payne, Olaigbe, Andrews, Ballard, Simeu, Dibling, Mohamed, Bragg, Robinson, Abu.