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Yetton strikes to seal Trophy spoils
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SKIPPER Stewart Yetton struck once again for the Terras this season to book their place in the next round of the FA Trophy.Shortwood were spirited throughout the contest and had their fair share of chances against a weary Weymouth outfit, but the resilience of Jason Matthews’ squad shone through in a tie which, in fairness, was not for the purist.
Yetton showed strong awareness inside the area to slot the winner home on the hour mark and having got back at 5am the next morning from the FA Cup clash at Braintree Town on Tuesday, you could not begrudge him the winner for his 16th of the campaign in all competitions. Both Weymouth changes from their midweek XI came at full-back, with Jamie West making way for the returning Ashley Wells and Jake Wannell coming back in to replace Jordan Copp, who did not take a place in the squad due to illness. While Matthews was called into action early on to punch away a corner, both sides were slow to find their feet. The player-manager then survived a couple of frightful moments as he raced off his line to clear a pass back from Calvin Brooks which was almost charged down, and moments later he was beaten to the first touch from a long ball forward to midfielder Marley Thomas, but in the end the move came to nothing. A surging run from Wells then threatened the visitors’ back line on the counter, and a Chris Shephard shot was blocked from Yetton’s cut back. But for all of their endeavour, the Terras looked frenetic in defence and were unlocked far too easily once again when Thomas played a neat one-two with Ross Langworthy to go one-on-one, but goalkeeper Matthews got the first touch on this occasion and Langworthy put the follow-up wide. Steve Colwell’s ball from deep then found Yetton on the right, and as he rolled the ball across goal once more, Shephard looked to conjure up some magic, but his shot whistled over and the Terras had failed to work Tom King in the Wood goal after 35 minutes. Another sweeping ball from deep then caused confusion in the Weymouth back-four, as Thomas once again cut in off the right flank between both central-defenders, but could only prod the ball into Matthews’ clutches. Weymouth’s best chance of the opening period then came moments before the break as Adam Kelly was felled a yard outside the area on the right flank, and a headed effort flashed wide as the sides went in deadlocked at the interval. Yetton then came within inches of striking the first blow as he bundled his way straight through the visiting defence and his deflected effort looped high into the air, only for Shortwood defender Jake Lee to stab it off the line. But on the hour mark, the Terras’ talisman was not to be denied again. From an intricate move, Kelly slid an angled ball back to an unmarked Yetton, who could not miss to put the Terras in the ascendancy. Tristan Plummer was then introduced into the contest when he replaced Kelly in the midfield, and just five minutes into his debut, he almost played in George Rigg to make it 2-0. But with just a one-goal deficit, gutsy Shortwood showed what they were made of and almost levelled the game up when a precise through ball from full-back Sam Rawlings found Thomas, and Matthews made himself big to smother the attempt and retain his clean sheet. Weymouth’s midfield maestro Chris McPhee then looked as if he was going to put the tie to bed after a goalmouth scramble from a corner fell to him at the back post, but instead of trying to fire the ball through a sea of bodies, he lifted his shot well over. Plummer showed neat footwork to skip past two men and strike at goal, but his effort deflected for a corner, and after picking the ball up once more, the lively loan signing had a huge claim for a penalty dismissed. Things turned slightly heated towards the final whistle when Terras’ substitute Tim Sills and Shortwood’s Ash Thomas squared up to earn a booking each, and Phil Veal was also cautioned for losing his temper moments from the end.
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