The Terras terror the Whites with defeat at Crabble.
On arguably one of the hottest days that I have ever endured at a football match, Weymouth made their trip along the south coast for this National League South match. For the fourth consecutive Saturday in a row, Mitch Brundle’s side held home advantage, again with the Megger Community Stadium basking in glorious sunshine.
Prior to kick-off, Billy Terrell was handed the Megger Player of the Month award for August, for his fine displays in his first month here at Crabble. Unfortunately for Terrell, he would be picking the ball out of his net after just eight minutes when a free header back across Dover’s penalty area was volleyed home by the unmarked Touray, making his Terras debut. Touray had been a late replacement with Roberts pulling up injured during the warm-up.
Johl Powell, making his home debut after signing during midweek, was booked for what looked like an innocuous challenge, following Peter Ojemen who had already been carded early on. Minutes later and the referee was at the centre of it all again, this time booking the Gaffer for throwing the ball back onto the pitch. It seemed very harsh and a little odd but the man in the middle was saving his best performance for later on.
As the board for added time was held up, Bearwish was booked for a high foot in the face of Powell. Then just moments later, disaster struck. Terrell, receiving a back pass, took a touch and slammed the ball against the advancing Touray. The ball looped high towards the summer sun, bounced once and dropped in off the underside of the crossbar.
If that wasn’t a kick in the teeth for the Whites, seconds after the restart, Powell looked to flick a ball into the channel but a Weymouth defender took a risky route of trying to header the ball clear from around knee high. This resulted in Powell catching his man with his boot and the referee couldn’t have got his cards out quick enough as first he raised a second yellow and then flashed a red for Powell who looked absolutely flabbergasted. No one in the stadium could quite believe it. Common sense should have prevailed and the referee could have easily have taken the midfielder to one side but then again common sense isn’t that common.
After the restart, the numbers were evened out as Bearwish, who was about to take a throw in, dropped the ball for his teammate and was deemed to be time wasting by the referee and was shown a second yellow, followed by a red. It was all square on the pitch but the Whites still trailed by a two goal deficit. This then became a three goal lead when Rollinson ran across the face of the 18 yard box before firing past Terrell to give the visitors all three points.
Dover did manage a consolation strike through Roman Charles-Cook who bundled home with only minutes remaining on the clock. Two defeats in four days and still no win at home this season left the punters leaving a little disgruntled. This week however, sees a break from league action as we face Hastings United in the FA Cup.
“I’m not asking for world-beaters every week, we know what we’ve got to work with, but we have to do something to make it right.
I’ll never stop fighting and trying to make sure this goes right. – Mitch Brundle
Dover Athletic: Terrell, Oyenuga, McLean, Menasah, Olarewaju, Ojemen, Dunne, Powell, Anifowose, Nikaj, Sutherland
Subs: Baptiste, Hatcher, Allen, Charles-Cook, Stewart
Weymouth: Benfield, Howe, Hamblin, Cheshire, Thompson, Rowan, O’Connell, Bearwish, Roberts, Slade, Rollinson
Subs: Thomson, Touray, Stag, Brooks, Olu
Attendance: 568
