Weymouth strike twice to rock the Robins
A SECOND-HALF double from the Terras ensured they kept their play-off hopes alive by seeing off in-form Frome Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
George Rigg popped up 10 minutes into the second period to hit the opening blow during a second half in which the Terras controlled their opposition.
Ben Thomson found the net against his old club late on to ensure the hosts got back to winning ways.
The Terras went into the contest smarting off the back of a 1-0 defeat to Dorset rivals Poole Town on Monday, with player-manager Jason Matthews targeting five wins from their final six league contests in a bid to reach the top five.
Matthews made one change from the side that were defeated against the Dolphins over the Easter weekend.
Striker Thomson, who made the switch between the clubs last August, recovered from a hamstring problem to feature against his former employers.
He replaced midfielder Billy Lowes and joined Tim Sills in attack, as the Terras went with two up front.
There was also a spot on the bench for Chris Shephard, who was fit enough to be named among the replacements after recovering from a back problem.
The contest was also given an added edge as former Terra Chris McPhee, who only left Weymouth to join Frome less than a month ago, lined up as the Robins’ captain on the day.
Frome went into the clash in fine form having not lost in eight league encounters and it was the visitors that fashioned the first chance in a frantic opening 10 minutes.
After some confusion in the Weymouth box, Robins’ midfielder George Miller struck a troublesome right-foot drive which Matthews was just about alert to in the home goal.
Moments later, Weymouth came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock themselves.
Mark Cooper surged down the flank from full-back and pulled the ball back for Sills, his effort was stabbed off the line and Thomson dragged a shot wide on the follow-up.
Weymouth’s set-piece struggles almost came back to haunt them once again as Frome’s Marcus Mapstone headed into the path of Jake Jackson, who, just a few yards out, could not find a decisive touch.
Terras’ wideman Jordan Copp then burst down the left on 21 minutes and left his defender for dead.
He opted to shoot and put the ball into the side netting, much to the disgust of George Rigg, who was fuming at the fact he didn’t square it.
Frome then hit the bar directly from a Miller corner which drifted on the breeze and had Matthews backpedalling.
Then, from a Terras’ corner, Frome keeper Sam Teale spilled his collection and, as the hosts drilled the ball from point-blank range, it somehow ricocheted away to safety.
Just two minutes before the interval, visiting defender Chris Gregan was forced off through what appeared to be an injury to his collarbone, he was replaced by Jordan Walker.
Following the break, Copp continued to cause problems as the Terras looked to break the deadlock.
After beating a couple of defenders, he stood the ball up for Rigg, who headed over.
Rigg was to find the net however, as his deflected shot on 55 minutes wrong-footed Teale in the visitors’ goal to open the scoring on 55 minutes.
But, just moments after getting their opener, it really should have been 1-1.
Frome’s Jackson found himself in on goal and, as he lifted the ball over a sprawling Matthews, he also put it just over the bar. Sills was then replaced just short of the hour by Stewart Yetton.
The Terras then piled the pressure on in search of a second with a succession of corners. Molesley, the architect for the opener, was then replaced by the returning Shephard.
And Shephard was almost the creator of the Terras’ second. His through ball found Yetton, who looked to place his shot into the bottom corner but failed to hit the target.
Shephard showed just how much the home side had missed him against the Dolphins the last time out, as his spell off the bench ran a tiring Frome backline ragged in the second period.
After going close with a couple of efforts himself, he then played in Copp, who forced a good save and saw his effort blocked at the second attempt.
Copp did however bag himself an assist late on, as he was set through on the counter and squared for Thomson, who could not miss to wrap up all three points.
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