Weymouth hit back to sink Town

BEN Thomson struck twice as Weymouth came from behind to beat Stratford Town 2-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday.

Town made a lively start and went ahead in the fifth minute. Jamie Sheldon was upended by Dean Evans in the area and Richard Gregory thumped the subsequent spot-kick past the Weymouth goalkeeper and player-manager Jason Matthews.

Town were buzzing, and on 15 minutes Jack Roberts robbed Jordan Copp in the centre circle and surged down the inside right channel to shoot into the side netting.

But Weymouth gradually worked their way into the game with Mark Molesley going close with a decent effort on the half-hour mark and then having a fierce volley blocked by Andy Kemp five minutes later.

Town came back to almost double their lead four minutes before the break when Kieren Westwood’s lofted pass found Tyrone Fagan at the far post, whose shot was deflected behind off Matthews.

From the resulting corner, it was Fagan again with a delicate lob that clipped the top of the bar on its way behind.

Town then had an even better chance of going 2-0 up five minutes into the second half.

Fagan headed on Emmit Delfouneso’s clearance into the path of Gregory, who skipped round the advancing Matthews. The Town striker looked set to score his second, but the ball appeared to take a bobble as he prepared to shoot and his effort went over.

Weymouth took full advantage of that let-off to equalise on 62 minutes when they worked the ball in from the left and Thomson stabbed it past Kemp from close in.

And in the 76th minute Thomson grabbed the winner when Town failed to deal with a corner from the left and as the Weymouth striker drilled the loose ball into the net from eight yards out.

Town had a chance to rescue a point with six minutes to go, but substitute Simeon Tulloch volleyed over from a Westwood free-kick.

Stratford have now taken only three points from their last nine games.

Full report in next week’s Herald