SHAFTESBURY 2

Pitman 25, 66

WEYMOUTH 3

Rowan 29, M Brooks 34, Stagg 57

WEYMOUTH began their pre-season campaign with a 3-2 victory but were made to work hard for it by a spirited Shaftesbury side.

Three divisions separate the teams and it came as a surprise when Shaftesbury's ex-Bournemouth striker Brett Pitman rounded keeper Callum Smalley to score.

Weymouth bounced back with easy goals for Charlie Rowan and Marvin Brooks, before adding a third in the second half through Tommy Stagg’s fine shot on the turn.

Pitman did score a second with a technically superb volley but Weymouth were otherwise untroubled.

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The Terras, wearing last season's third strip, began authoritatively but lost midfielder Max Hemmings to a leg injury in the 14th minute, skipper Tom Bearwish his replacement.

While Weymouth were dominant, neither side mustered a shot on target until the 25th minute.

Weymouth switched off from a low ball and Pitman, showing his predatory instincts, ran onto it and coolly rounded keeper Smalley to score.

Behind for only four minutes, Weymouth equalised with their next attack as Charlie Rowan touched home Joel Rollinson’s corner from three yards.

Marvin Brooks then glanced a header wide moments before putting Weymouth 2-1 up as Harvey Slade cut out Shane Murphy’s poor clearance to tee up the striker for a simple finish inside the box.

Bearwish flicked a header wide before Brooks went off with an injury, replaced by Brandon Goodship.

The striker, in his third Weymouth spell, nearly produced an assist on 43 minutes only for O’Connell to shoot tamely at Murphy.

Weymouth made seven changes at the break as Slade, Rollinson, O’Connell, Calvin Brooks, Marvin Brooks, Rowan and Leo Hamblin made way.

They were replaced by two trialists, Frankie Monk, Anthony Cheshire, Stagg, Teddy Howe and Norman Wabo.

Weymouth’s defence was initially the busier of the two sides in the second half, Smalley making an agile low save to tip away Pitman’s dipping free-kick.

However, the Terras added a third on 57 minutes when the Rockies failed to clear inside the area and Stagg turned and blasted home via the underside of the bar.

Wabo proceeded to miss a hat-trick of golden chances before teeing up Player A, whose effort sailed over from 20 yards.

Shaftesbury then halved the deficit on 66 minutes when the Terras did not clear a Murphy long ball, Pitman drilling a sweet volley into the bottom corner via two minor deflections.

Despite that defensive blip, Weymouth looked the likelier to score and saw Player B rifle at Murphy after a clever interception.

Goodship then tested the former Dorchester keeper with a drifting left-footed shot but Weymouth were never in danger of conceding a third and closed out the win with ease.

Terras: Smalley, C Brooks (Howe 46), Rowan (Cheshire 46), McQueen, Hamblin (Player B 46), Slade (Monk 46), Hemmings (Bearwish 14), Rollinson (Stagg 46), Roberts (Wabo 46), O’Connell (Player A 46), M Brooks (Goodship 40).