Match Report: Weymouth 5-1 Dorchester Town (Dorset Senior Cup Semi Final) | 1st March 2016

Five-star Terras in derby dreamland

FIVE-STAR Weymouth sealed the derby spoils over a mixed Dorchester Town line-up to book their place in the final of the Dorset Senior Cup.

While Jason Brookes levelled the contest early in the second period for the visitors, the home side produced a flurry of chances in a dominant second-half display to ease into the next stage of the county competition.

The last time the two teams met was at the Bob Lucas Stadium in the league on Boxing Day, Franklyn Clarke popped up with a late leveller for the Magpies to seal a dramatic draw.

But it was the Terras that had fond memories of when the Ridgeway rivals last clashed in this competition. They sealed the trophy in the final last season against the county town side thanks to a Jordan Copp penalty.

There was no place for Clarke in the Magpies’ squad this time around but Copp was given a start for the home team.

The winning side from the tie would have to wait to find out their final opponents as the semi-final clash between Gillingham Town and Sherborne Town was postponed earlier in the day.

The Magpies had a slick move snuffed out in the opening exchanges but it was Weymouth’s George Rigg who had the first strike on goal. He let fly with a rasping free-kick from all of 35 yards that fizzed just over the top of keeper Alan Walker-Harris’ bar.

One name returning to the Terras’ squad was midfielder Luke Winsper and he almost made an instant impact on his comeback.

Winsper, who has been getting game time at Sherborne following a number of injury troubles with his foot, was teed up and hit a stinging strike which was beaten away by Walker-Harris.

But there was nothing the Magpies’ keeper could do to prevent Rigg at the second time of asking from a free-kick. After Dorchester’s Sam Pashen found his way into the book for a foul, the former Stoke and Bristol City man produced a stunning effort which flew into the net on 15 minutes.

With the home side in the ascendancy, striker Ben Thomson’s low drive then drifted just wide of a post and Winsper charged down a Magpies’ clearance which looped just wide. At the other end, replacing Weymouth manager Jason Matthews for the evening, Terras’ gloveman Steve Boore then survived a slight scare as he went to collect the ball on the edge of his box, the home side eventually cleared despite cries of hand ball from the Magpies.

Jake Wannell then must have thought he had made it two for the Terras after 30 minutes when he latched on to a devilish delivery swung in from a corner and headed at goal, only to be denied by a sublime point-blank save.

Following the interval, Copp should have doubled his side’s lead but squandered a chance that was easier to score than miss. He somehow failed to hit the target after the ball was pulled back to him inside the six-yard box just 90 seconds after the restart.

And moments later, the county town side were level. A ball forward was not dealt with by the home team and when the ball eventually fell to Dorchester’s Jason Brookes, he confidently converted into the bottom corner to level things up.

Parity was to be short-lived however, as the Terras made it 2-1 after 55 minutes.

While Stewart Yetton went close and saw his effort scrambled off the line, the ball fell to fellow striker Thomson, who made no mistake in converting on the follow up.

Thomson then doubled his tally for the night making it 3-1 after some neat work inside the area allowed him to find the bottom corner. That was to be his last act of the night as he was replaced by Calvin Brooks.

That meant Tim Sills was moved up front, and he got his goal on 75 minutes to add a fourth for the hosts. After heading straight at Walker-Harris, Sills rolled back the years and produced some acrobatics to finish on the rebound and put the tie beyond doubt.

It was then party time for the Terras, and Wannell made it five with 10 minutes to go, smashing home a half-cleared ball on the edge of the box.

With just a handful of minutes remaining, the Magpies should have had a consolation, but Liam Sayers fluffed his lines, while at the other end, Walker-Harris was called in to action once again to keep the score at 5-1.