Welling 1-2 Weymouth: Ahkeem Rose scores winner for Terras

Payne 14

WEYMOUTH 2

Willson 31, Rose 67

INJURY and illness-hit Weymouth claimed what could be a priceless 2-1 victory in a dramatic Vanarama National League clash at Welling United.

Welling took the lead against the run of play through Stefan Payne’s deflected strike, before Brendan Willson headed an equaliser on 31 minutes.

Weymouth dominated the second half and deservedly went 2-1 up through Ahkeem Rose, before keeper Myles Roberts was sent off for taking out Brad Ash in a one-on-one.

Both sides had chances to score but Welling hit the bar through Taylor Maloney’s thunderbolt as Weymouth were made to sweat for their second straight win.

READ MORE: Welling 1-2 Weymouth - how it happened

Weymouth manager Bobby Wilkinson made two changes to the side that began the 4-2 FA Trophy defeat to Worthing last time out.

Ed James and Dan Matsuzaka both missed out and were replaced by Luke Nippard and Tom Bearwish, the duo having sufficiently recovered from injury.

Nippard and Bearwish boosted Weymouth significantly, with the Terras only able to name a three-player bench due to illness.

That included goalkeeping coach Jason Matthews, winger Hari McCoy and new signing Ben Thomson.

Thomson was in the matchday squad for the first time since leaving the club in the summer to join Salisbury.

The other absentees included Cam Murray, who has gone on loan to Poole, while Josh Oyinsan had no place in the squad along with Sami Bessadi.

Targeting their second straight league win, Weymouth made a bright start at Park View Road as Keelan O’Connell fired a good chance wide after good work from skipper Xander McBurnie.

Weymouth were on top in the opening exchanges but they managed to concede in the 14th minute in bizarre circumstances after an error from Welling keeper Myles Roberts.

The Wings’ custodian fluffed a goal-kick before both Ahkeem Rose and Brad Ash saw shots blocked and a penalty shout waved away.

Welling broke upfield through Chi Ezennolim and he found Payne whose deflected effort span past Zaki Oualah, the Weymouth keeper stricken on his knees as the ball flew in for 1-0.

Stefan Payne scored a deflected opener for Welling (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Payne’s goal burst the hosts into life and the forward nearly had a second when his venomous volley was well kept out by Oualah.

Weymouth could only respond through Ash’s wild shot that soared out of the ground, before Iraqi star Yaser Kasim fired wide at the other end.

Weymouth were now beginning to recuperate after the opening goal and duly equalised in the 31st minute after heavy pressure.

James Dunne was booked for a foul and Tom Blair curled the free-kick at goal, forcing Roberts into a fingertip save for a corner.

And O’Connell delivered it on a plate to Willson at the near post as the Eastleigh loanee showed his prowess in the air once more to head home his second Weymouth goal in three games.

Brendan Willson, second left, scored for Weymouth (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Weymouth nearly bagged a second in 60 seconds when Blair’s solo run and shot was superbly repelled onto the bar by a flying Roberts.

With the match in the balance, both sides pressed hard for possession but in the final chance before the break, Welling’s Taylor Maloney should have hit the target from inside the box after good work from Medy Elito.

Weymouth again began a half brightly but Welling had the greater infiltration as Payne had the ball in the back of the net with a neat finish – only to be flagged for handball in the build-up.

Weymouth continued to push and the impressive Roberts kept the Terras at bay once more as Nippard’s sweetly-struck goalbound volley was clawed away by the keeper.

Bearwish tested Roberts from 20 yards and Blair also worked the Wings’ custodian before the Terras deservedly took the lead with 23 minutes to go.

Weymouth gave their opponents a taste of their own medicine as their goal came from an overhit Welling corner.

Scott Rees brought the ball away, found Ash who darted into the box, got his head up and squared for Rose to slam home into the bottom-left corner.

Ahkeem Rose, right, blasts Weymouth 2-1 up (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Welling continued to implode under Weymouth pressure when Blair’s cute pass put Ash through and Roberts raced off his line to clumsily take him out, earning a red card.

Brad Ash, centre, is taken out by Welling keeper Myles Roberts who earned a red card (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Kai McKenzie-Lyle took the gloves after replacing Elito and Weymouth’s first change then saw Thomson make his second debut at the expense of Rose with 15 minutes to go.

Blair, arguably Weymouth’s best player, then blazed over a good chance before a big scare when Payne got beyond Willson only to drag wide.

Weymouth had a different type of scare when Thomson was clattered into by sub Amadou Kassarate, limping away feeling his right ankle.

Luckily, Thomson was able to continue and took a caution when breaking up a Welling attack.

However, the hosts gallantly came forward and struck the bar when Maloney’s stinging effort hit the bar, although there was a foul in the box too.

Welling built up big pressure in the five added minutes of injury-time, sending up McKenzie-Lyle for a 95th-minute free-kick.

Weymouth scrambled it clear and rode out the next wave of Welling attacks to invite the final whistle and spark jubilant scenes on the away bench.

Welling: Roberts, Ezennolim, Parry, Kasim (Kassarate 63), Elito (McKenzie-Lyle 73), Azeez, Payne, Dunne (Papadopoulos 70), Sendles-White, Barnes, Maloney. Subs not used: Andrews, Dickens.

Terras: Oualah, Willson, McBurnie, Carlyle, O'Connell, Rees, Rose (Thomson 75), Bearwish, Nippard, Ash, Blair. Subs not used: Matthews, H McCoy.

Referee: Stephen Parkinson

Attendance: 1,005