Weymouth 4-3 Hemel Hempstead Town: Terras score late winner

Linton 57, Touray 70, Goodship 85, O’Connell 90+4

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD TOWN 3

Hinds 45+1, Brown 53, Folivi 73

WEYMOUTH stormed back to claim an incredible 4-3 win over Hemel Hempstead, courtesy of a 95th-minute winner from Keelan O’Connell.

Hemel looked in pole position for three points after Kaylen Hinds and Bayley Brown goals put them 2-0 up, but the Terras hit back through Malachi Linton and sub Ezio Touray strikes.

Michael Folivi turned home for 3-2 as Hemel went back ahead, but Brandon Goodship’s header and O’Connell’s composed one-on-one finish handed Weymouth a memorable fourth successive Vanarama National League South victory.

READ MORE: Weymouth 4-3 Hemel Hempstead - how it happened

Bobby Wilkinson made two enforced changes to the Weymouth starting line-up as Calvin Brooks (knee) and Teddy Howe (suspension) missed out.

In came Jordon Thompson, promoted from the bench, and new signing Harry Jones from Swansea City for his debut.

Harry Jones made his Weymouth debut after joining from Swansea (Image: MARK PROBIN)

On the bench, under-23s defender Callum Small was the sole new face as Dan Roberts, Ezio Touray, Keelan O'Connell and Elliott Bolton retained their places in the squad.

Weymouth were looking to do the double over Hemel after their 2-1 win at Vauxhall Road earlier this season.

However, the Tudors looked the more dangerous side in the early exchanges.

Hemel’s first chance came as Jones got back to block a cross for a corner, and the flick-on found Folivi who contrived to volley over at the back post from two yards out.

Jones was booked in the 10th minute, getting into a tangle with Folivi on the break, as Weymouth struggled to settle against a hungry Hemel side.

It took until the 22nd minute for Weymouth’s first major sight of goal, although Malachi Linton’s decision to shoot with his right foot on the left flank allowed Hemel to block his effort.

Hemel continued to possess a penetrating threat on the break and George Williams was guilty of their next miss, the midfielder left in acres of space before firing wide via a deflection.

Weymouth then rallied as Brandon Goodship collected Harry Jones’ low cross, shifted into space in the box and slammed a low shot at grateful keeper James Taylor.

Goodship later piled a free-kick into the Hemel wall after Josh Hill was booked for disrupting a Weymouth break, but Hemel again proved capable of hurting the Terras on the counter.

Montel McKenzie stormed upfield from right-back, turned Hamblin inside out and sliced wide at the near post, before Brown blazed another horrid shot over after Gerard Benfield’s parry.

Weymouth really should have taken the lead before half-time, Goodship racing clear with only Taylor to beat, but the keeper gambled and spread himself to the left to block the in-form striker’s effort.

Brandon Goodship, right, was denied by a brave save from James Taylor (Image: MARK PROBIN)

His save proved priceless as Hemel took the lead in the first minute of added time, Hinds keeping his cool to slot home after Folivi had struck the post.

Hemel cemented their status as the better side with a second goal in the 53rd minute.

Weymouth had already been given a let-off when Benfield denied Brown from close-range, but there was nothing he could do to prevent Brown’s finish after he had saved superbly from Hill’s poke.

Benfield saved sharply from Williams seconds later as the Tudors went for the jugular, but Weymouth were soon back in it courtesy of Linton’s first goal for the club.

The Yeovil loanee could not miss as Hemel left him in oceans of space to slot home Olu Durojaiye’s smart cutback.

Ezio Touray, just 14 minutes after coming on, then kept his cool to slot home when clean through to make it 2-2.

Ezio Touray celebrates his 10th goal of the season (Image: MARK PROBIN)

Wilkinson was booked for antics on the touchline and, just three minutes after the equaliser, Weymouth were behind again.

Hill was the source of the goal, peeling off to collect a diagonal and thread a low cross for Folivi to guide home through the grasp of Benfield.

With 12 minutes to go, Weymouth were convinced of a handball in the box but their appeals were dismissed as Hemel increasingly sat back to protect their lead.

That tactic came back to haunt them five minutes from time as Linton escaped to the byline, lobbed Taylor and connected with Goodship at the back post, heading home into the empty net from a yard out.

The sides battled it out in midfield, desperate to protect a point, but during seven added minutes Weymouth inflicted a killer blow.

Touray’s hold-up play allowed him to slip O’Connell free and his first touch set himself into space before he held off the interfering defender to blast through Taylor and send the home crowd into ecstasy.

Terras: Benfield, Jones (O’Connell 56), Jo Thompson, Cook, Hamblin, Rowan, Durojaiye, Bearwish, Parsons (Touray 56), Linton, Goodship (Roberts 90+7). Subs not used: Bolton, Small.

Hemel: Taylor, McKenzie, J Williams, Ajayi, Hill, G Williams, Hinds (Whittaker 80), Bates (Re 65), Kawimbe, Folivi (Oyinsan 83), Brown. Subs not used: Smith, Paternoster.

Referee: Ayrton Hursey.

Attendance: 1,212.