Weymouth sink at Tiverton

TIVERTON TOWN 2

WEYMOUTH 1

WEYMOUTH suffered the first away defeat of their Evo-Stik Southern League Premier campaign, going down 2-1 to Tiverton Town at Ladysmead.

In a dour first half, Josh Carmichael almost scored for the visitors when a wayward cross hit the post.

But Tiverton scored four minutes into the second half with a clinical finish from Levi Landricombe.

Tivvy doubled their lead on 66 minutes when midfielder Jamie Short found the net, but a late Jordan Rose goal proved too little too late for the Terras as they succumbed to their second league loss of the season.

Both sides went into the contest with perfect respective home and away records.

Tiverton continue to enjoy a 100 per cent start to their home league campaign, and have now won their last 13 competitive home fixtures.

Weymouth manager Mark Molesley named an unchanged starting line-up to the one that began the 3-1 win over Kettering, and only made one change to his bench, Aaron Rodriguez making way for Sean Stewart.

In a tepid opening 10 minutes, Weymouth almost took the lead when a misdirected Carmichael cross struck the post having evaded Weymouth’s trio of forward men in the area.

Tiverton then had a penalty appeal turned down as the hosts struggled to find a foothold in the game.

Despite chances being at a premium, Weymouth had had the better of them until Tiverton blasted over from six yards out.

Seconds later, the lively Carmichael could only work home goalkeeper Martin Rice into an easy save having shot ambitiously from distance.

Five minutes before the break, Tiverton wasted another good chance to break the deadlock before Carmichael found Thomson, who could only thump an effort into a covering defender, allowing Rice to collect the looping ball.

After half-time, Tiverton made the all-important breakthrough with a clinical finish.

Striker Levi Landricombe was played clean through on goal and powered a finish high past Mark Travers in the Weymouth goal.

Boss Molesley responded by subbing Ashley Wells and Josh Wakefield for Toby Down and Harry Baker, but just over 10 minutes after the Terras shuffled their pack, the hosts doubled their lead courtesy of midfielder Short.

Charlie Davis immediately came on for Mark Cooper as Weymouth searched for a way back into the game and on 73 minutes they wasted a fine chance to do so.

Calvin Brooks sprinted through on goal but blazed his effort over the bar in a rare opening for the visitors.

But with seven minutes remaining centre-back Rose grabbed his fourth league goal of the season to set up a grandstand finish in Devon.

With the clock running down, both sides had clear chances in the dying embers of the game.

Tiverton were denied a third goal when Travers produced a fine stop in injury-time.

And the Terras almost salvaged a draw when Rose almost forced a leveller, but Rice was equal to the task and saved to preserve Tiverton’s winning position and elevate them to fifth in the table.

The loss sees Weymouth drop to ninth ahead of their FA Cup second qualifying round clash with Chippenham Town on Saturday.

Tiverton: Rice, Mammola, Hurst, Gardner, Price, Short, Hall (Gregory 79), Knowles, Howe (J Rogers 75), L Landricombe (S Rogers 86), M Landricombe. Subs: Rogers, Bath, Horton

Terras: Travers, Brooks, Cooper (Davis 67), Wells (Down 54), Rose, Buckley, Carmichael, McCarthy, Thomson, Goodship, Wakefield (Baker 54). Subs not used: J Prodomo, S Stewart

Attendance: 239