Chippenham Town 1
Paul
Weymouth 4
Phillips (2), Dean, Jones
WEYMOUTH silenced their long-ball critics with a resounding FA Cup victory over Dr Martens Premier Division rivals Chippenham Town.
The Terras cruised into the Third Qualifying Round with an awesome display of passing football at Hardenhuish Park.
It was a day to savour for striker Lee Phillips who returned to form in spectacular style with the goals that began and ended the rout.
Despite the final scoreline, it was the Bluebirds who came out flying, forcing four corners in the opening five minutes.
And it was from one of those centres that Tom Gould propelled a header that was expertly tipped over the bar by keeper Jason Matthews.
Despite the host’s promising start it was the visitors who broke the deadlock in the seventh minute when Ian Hutchinson threaded a ball through from Phillips to chase down the infamous Hardenhuish slope.
The former Plymouth striker easily out-paced his marker before rounding one-time Terras target, James Bittner, in the Chippenham goal and side footing home from the narrowest of angles.
Two minutes later an on-fire Phillips had the ball in the back of the net again, but this time his close range stab was ruled offside.
The Dorset side continued to sweep menacingly down the hill and skipper Alex Browne was just a whisker away from connecting at the far post after Phillips had flicked on Michael Dean’s corner from the right.
Convert
If ever a team could be accused of route one tactics it’s Chippenham and that policy almost paid off on 20 minutes when Steve Brown latched on to a huge clearance and drilled a first-time effort into the side netting.
And it was another long ball forward that brought the Bluebirds’ equalising goal on the half-hour.
Defenders Steve Tully and Mark Kenway failed to negotiate Shane Andrew’s hopeful punt down the left flank, allowing Brown to deliver a low cross for Martin Paul to convert from the edge of the six-yard box.
Despite getting back on level terms, Town barely had a kick between then and half-time as the Terras went all out to restore their advantage.
Dean went close with a curling 25-yard thunderbolt, Ian Hutchinson shaved the bar with a header, but Channel Islander Marc Whiteman who would have had the best opportunity three minutes before the break.
Phillips rode two tackles before cutting in from the left, but with the unmarked Whiteman screaming to his right, the Cornishman crashed a tame shot at the legs of centre-half, Mark Badman. Weymouth were forced to reshuffle at the break with Michael Sajic replacing captain Browne, but the change did nothing to quell the Terras dominance.
From the restart, Whiteman jinked his way to the left-hand byline and pulled-back invitingly to Phillips whose ten-yard effort was cleared off the line by Andrew.
Moments later the visitors were back in front after Gould gave away a free-kick on the right-side of midfield for which he picked up what would prove a decisive booking.
Hutchinson it was who floated a gorgeous ball in for the levitating Welshman, Gethin Jones, to bury with an unstoppable header.
A single goal cushion never looked like being enough, but all that changed dramatically on 57 minutes. The determined Jones set off on a solo run from the half-way line, played a neat one-two with Phillips and was only denied a scoring opportunity by Gould’s reckless challenge just inside the penalty box. Gould’s reward was an early bath courtesy of a second yellow card and up stepped Dean to hammer home to the spot kick with embarrassing ease.
Bluebirds’ boss Tommy Saunders responded by introducing giant striker Adie Mings into the action, and the man who Weymouth tried to sign a fortnight ago marked his arrival with a decent snap shot that Matthews pushed on to the upright.
But once John Waldock – back after a lengthy lay-off following knee surgery – entered the dray for the limping Kenway, the Terras began to settle again and play some of their best football of the season.
Inspired
Man for man they completely out-classed their opponents with midfielders Hutchinson, Sajic, Dean and Mark Robinson all in inspired form.
The Bluebirds threatened occasionally but defensively the visitors were tight as a drum as Waldock, Jones, Steve Tully and Simon Browne repeatedly shut the door on Mings and co.
Weymouth got the fourth goal their performance deserved after a dreadful mix-up between Bittner and the aptly named Simon Charity deep into injury time.
The pair contrived to set up Phillips from close range and the in-from attacker made no mistake and the Terras claimed the winner’s cheque for a cool £7,500.
TERRAS: Matthews, Tully, S. Browne, A.Browne (Sajic), Kenway (Waldock), Jones, Robinson, Hutchinson, Dean, Whiteman, Phillips
Subs not used: Spencer, Gadsby, Mutch
