WEYMOUTH 3

Goodship 18, Bakrin 85, Rowan 89

ST ALBANS CITY 3

Jeffers 26, 28, Banton 90+5

WEYMOUTH were pegged back by St Albans City in a chaotic 3-3 draw in the National League South.

Brandon Goodship put the Terras ahead but Shaun Jeffers scored his 19th and 20th goals of the league season to put City 2-1 up at the break.

Naz Bakrin poked home a late equaliser on debut before Charlie Rowan looked to have won it in dramatic fashion.

However, Saints fought back and the unmarked Zane Banton side-footed home in the 95th minute to earn his side a deserved point.

READ MORE: Weymouth 3-3 St Albans City - how it happened

Weymouth made four changes to the starting XI, with Charlton Athletic centre-back Bakrin making his debut.

Dan Roberts and Harry Jones also came into the side, along with Rowan who returned from a two-game suspension.

Olu Durojaiye missed out completely, while Keelan O'Connell, Jordon Thompson and Harry Parsons all dropped to the bench.

Ezio Touray and Elliott Bolton kept their places among the substitutes.

St Albans gave an indication as to why they began the game in sixth place, with crisp passing and intricate movement earning them two early chances.

The first fell to Jeffers, who was well blocked by Corey Panter, before Dom Hutchinson stung the palms of Gerard Benfield with a rasping drive in the second minute.

Weymouth hit back by striking the woodwork and were desperately unlucky not to score as Leo Hamblin cut inside and was denied by keeper Michael Johnson. Malachi Linton then avoided the incoming Tom Bearwish who rattled the top of the bar from 18 yards.

Weymouth defended a succession of corners stoutly as St Albans made easy progress up the other end, but their rearguard efforts were rewarded when the Terras got the opener in the 18th minute.

Mitchell Weiss slipped at a critical moment, allowing Jones to mop up and feed Teddy Howe on the right wing, his low ball then blasted home into the roof of the net by Goodship for his 12th goal of the campaign.

After the Terras’ top goal scorer and assist-maker respectively combined, it was the turn of their defence to come under the spotlight.

Coming into this game, the Terras had conceded 11 times in three home games and St Albans swiftly added another two to the tally.

The Saints got in behind on the left too simply as Giorgio Rasulo won back possession in the final third and Jeffers was on hand to poke his cross beyond Benfield on the slide from all of a yard out in the 26th minute.

Just two minutes later, City were ahead. Bearwish’s silly foul on the edge of the box allowed Jeffers to step up from the free-kick and curl under the wall, into the bottom corner for 2-1.

Weymouth were chasing shadows for the remainder of the half, although St Albans failed to create a chance of note, while the Terras saw a stoppage-time corner cleared to invite the half-time whistle.

Weymouth improved after the interval as Linton tested Johnson before Rowan went one better, conjuring a flying stop from the keeper to tip clear his rising drive.

Weiss then gave Weymouth a let-off as he strolled into the area unmarked and missed the target with a poor header from Rasulo’s tempting cross.

Terras’ boss Bobby Wilkinson had seen enough by 60 minutes as Parsons and Touray came on for Jones and Roberts respectively.

St Albans continued to look dangerous despite the changes as Hutchinson darted infield and lashed a violent shot at Benfield, who did superbly well to parry into a safe region.

Weymouth responded when Hamblin bent a free-kick at Johnson, who covered his line well, before Goodship worked the shot-stopper into an agile low save in the 70th minute.

While St Albans had largely played on the deck, they displayed quick thinking when Johnson hurled a throw out to Weiss who blasted at Benfield in a one-on-one.

But Bakrin began a mad spell of three goals in the final 10 minutes when he stabbed home following a calamitous spill by Johnson from Goodship’s corner.

Dramatically, Weymouth thought they had won it in the 89th minute.

Bearwish swept the ball out to Goodship on the left and his low cross was hooked in by Rowan into the near corner, sparking jubilant scenes at the Bob Lucas.

But the home fans’ joy was short-lived as Weymouth’s defensive frailties came back to haunt them with a poor clearance and sloppy marking, allowing Banton to plant a firm side-footed finish past a motionless Benfield in the 95th minute.

And Weymouth hearts were in mouths seconds later when sub Jake Burger’s deft chip looked to have given Saints a 4-3 win, only for the offside flag to go up.

In the end, both teams had to settle for a point following a chaotic finish.

Terras: Benfield, Howe, Hamblin, Panter, Bakrin, Bearwish, Goodship (Bolton 90+1), Roberts (Touray 60), Linton, Jones (Parsons 60), Rowan. Subs not used: Jo Thompson, O’Connell.

Saints: Johnson, James, Brown, Smith, Bowry, Rasulo (Hamin 81), Jeffers, Banton, Weiss, Hutchinson (Burger 73), Hoddle (Mensah 90). Subs not used: Bentley, Gauthier.

Referee: Robert Ablitt.

Attendance: 637.