Abdulai Baggie bags late winner for Weymouth
WEYMOUTH sent their fans into sheer elation as Abdulai Baggie sealed a 2-1 win for the Terras against Taunton Town as Evo-Stik Southern Premier South football returned to the lights of the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Weymouth had to endure a fantastic start from Taunton, who scored in the fourth minute through Matt Wright, but equalised through Brandon Goodship in the 59th minute as they ended their opponents’ remarkable 35-game unbeaten run.
Taunton Town were completely unchanged, while Weymouth only made one switch with Matt Casey making his league debut in place of Tiago Sa who started on the bench.
Among a raucous atmosphere with a large crowd the newly-promoted Peacocks showed no signs of nerves despite being forced to play in Weymouth’s away kit due to a colour clash.
Taunton nearly had an early goal when from a Keith Emmerson header forwards Andrew Neal flicked the ball over the onrushing Weymouth goalkeeper Jordan Seabright but stumbled and Seabright recovered to take the ball off his feet.
The Peacocks got their reward for their aggression in the fourth minute however, when Neal flicked the ball back across the box where Wright headed in.
Matt Buse fired over the bar in the sixth minute and Neal curled an effort high and wide shortly after.
However, Weymouth grew into the game and began to swiftly blunt the Taunton attack.
The Terras began to make inroads into the Peacocks’ defence but struggled to create a clear-cut chance.
Soon, they were making their possession count and it took the wind out of the away side’s sails, the chances coming soon afterwards.
Firstly, a storming run from Josh McQuoid narrowly failed to find Goodship.
Then Baggie, who had been proving an incisive threat down the right-hand side, fired in a smart shot that Taunton goalkeeper Lloyd Irish made a smart, low save from.
Taunton nearly doubled their lead after 30 minutes when White crossed in to find Wright, who headed the ball towards the far post, but it drifted wide.
Weymouth dominated the rest of the half in terms of possession but again struggled to create clear-cut chances.
The Terras went very close to levelling with virtually the last kick of the half when Baggie was played through and fired in a shot that deflected off Irish but wide for a corner and the whistle for half-time blew shortly afterwards.
Weymouth picked up where they left off in the second half, doing well to get forward through Baggie down the right-hand side.
Ashley Wells put a wonderfully inviting ball along the six-yard line which could not find a Terra but attack after attack descended upon the away side’s defence and eventually they cracked, with Goodship firing past Irish for a deserved equaliser in the 59th minute.
Both sets of fans were in fine voice as their sides looked to craft a lead.
Weymouth were only denied the lead in the 70th minute by a fantastic save from Irish after Baggie had crossed in with Ben Thomson heading in from close range but the Taunton goalkeeper made the stop.
Taunton soon went close to taking the lead when a cross flashed in front of Wright’s head inside the box but he could not make contact to guide it into the net.
The match got the winner it deserved, however, when Baggie fired in past Irish in the 90th minute to send the Bob Lucas Stadium into uproar.
Weymouth host Beaconsfield Town on Saturday (3pm).
Terras: Seabright, Wells, Buckley, Carmichael, McCarthy, Casey, Baggie, Davis (Wakefield 61), Thomson, Goodship, McQuoid. Subs not used: Diaz, Thomas, Baker, Sa, Wakefield.
Taunton Town: Irish, Mitchell, White, Adlesbury, Emmerson (Felix 45), Buse, Chamberlain, Brett, Wright, Sullivan, Neal (Veal 71). Subs not used: Meaker, Nelmes, Stone
Referee: Craig Scriven
Attendance: 879
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