Late Josh Wakefield goal rescues Weymouth
WEYMOUTH 1
Wakefield 88
BEACONSFIELD TOWN 1
Matthew 48
WEYMOUTH midfielder Josh Wakefield tapped home Josh McQuoid’s pinpoint pass in the 88th minute to earn his side a dramatic and deserved 1-1 draw with Beaconsfield Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
Brendan Matthew had earlier given the Rams a lead they nearly held on for, but Weymouth’s resolve sees them preserve their unbeaten start to the Evo-Stik Southern Premier South campaign.
Weymouth made just one change to their starting XI, with Stephane Zubar returning to replace Matt Casey in the Terras’ defence.
Casey dropped to the bench, taking Tiago Sa’s spot in the dugout in the only other change to Weymouth’s matchday squad since the dramatic 2-1 win over Taunton Town on Tuesday.
The hosts, who stretched their unbeaten home run in the league to 17 games, started brightly, monopolising possession in the opening exchanges.
Rams’ forward Matthew looked a handful with his pace and runs in behind but Weymouth were able to contain the striker before Josh McQuoid curled an effort at Ravan Constable after a smart dummy by Brandon Goodship.
Weymouth continued to dominate the ball but, after Charlie Davis was dispossessed, Matthew was supplied in behind only to fire his shot well wide.
Mark Molesley’s men were diligent off the ball, winning it back almost instantly with Josh Carmichael leading the pressing, and a similar passage of play set Abdulai Baggie free on the right but his cross was too tall for Goodship who headed skywards on the stretch.
The Terras were perhaps shy of pulling the trigger, Baggie and Goodship the culprits, after a sweeping break from the former, but Carmichael followed up with a rasping 30-yard drive that just strayed wide.
Baggie and Goodship were linking well and the Sierra Leone winger curled a left-footed shot after intricate interplay between the two.
At the centre of Weymouth’s forward play, Baggie released Ben Thomson with a clever flick only to see the forward shoot tamely at Constable.
Weymouth again retrieved the ball, this time through McQuoid, and he fed Goodship to test Constable with a central effort from 20 yards before two balls across the six-yard box went out of reach of the Terras as the half ended goalless.
But Beaconsfield delivered a blow in the 48th minute through the dangerous Matthew, who made Weymouth pay after breaking the defensive line for a third time by slotting home past Seabright.
The Rams surged forward again in a brief mini-spell, right-back Omar Vassell trying his luck from 20 yards before a Wes Daly free-kick was flicked on by Matthew to centre-back Reece Yorke, who blazed over.
Sub Wakefield helped regain the initiative for the hosts and his combination with Goodship conjured a chance that he flashed against the near-post side-netting.
Rams’ boss Gary Meakin was sent to the stands on the hour, before Weymouth spurned two huge chances, the first coming from Goodship, who was played in by Baggie 12 yards out following Carmichael’s raking ball out wide, only to blast at Constable.
Goodship then turned creator when he unleashed Thomson before offloading a return pass to McQuoid who once more failed to beat the solid Rams’ gloveman.
Matthew then took an age to walk off after sustaining an injury as Beaconsfield desperately tried to run the clock down.
And their blatant efforts proved in vain when Weymouth snatched a deserved equaliser two minutes from time.
Captain Jake McCarthy was clattered into on the edge of the box but McQuoid swept up the loose ball, drove to the byline and squared for Wakefield to nudge home from two yards to spark rapturous celebrations.
Seven minutes of added time followed but Beaconsfield came closest to winning it, McCarthy forced into an heroic sliding tackle on sub Tre Mitford to conserve Weymouth’s point and unbeaten record this season.
Terras: Seabright, Wells, Buckley, Carmichael, McCarthy, Zubar (Baker 79), Baggie, Davis (Wakefield 56), Thomson, Goodship, McQuoid (Diaz 90+3). Subs not used: Thomas, Casey.
Beaconsfield: Constable, Vassell, Balogun, Yorke, Neville, Daly, Costa (Brown 76), Ajanlekoko, Matthew (Mitford 72), Stead, Losasso (Powell 87). Subs not used: Osei-Tutu, Cathline
Referee: Sam Littlefair (Exeter)
Attendance: 831
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