National League South: Weymouth 0-1 Eastbourne Borough

Eastbourne Borough 1

Ligendza 63

Weymouth’s woeful start to the season continued as they were stunned 1-0 at home to Eastbourne Borough on Bank Holiday Monday.

Terras boss Mark Moseley gave three players, Calvin Brooks, Ezio Touray and Brandon Goodship, their first start to the season as the side looked to bounce back from Saturday’s 3-0 defeat away to Boreham Wood.

Smart Weymouth play nine minutes in saw Leo Hamblin charge down the left side with the ball until he was pulled back for a foul by Jayden Davis.

Goodship swung the ball into Thompson but the ball went straight into the gloves of Joe Wright.

Eastbourne looked to break immediately on the counter attack with Ballard McBride but Thompson came across to see the ball out for a corner.

The resulting clearance from the corner saw Eastbourne’s David Sesay collide with Brandon Goodship as the ex-Terras player went for goal. Goodship was given the all clear to continue minutes later as play continued.

Sports’ Dan Quick had another chance 16 minutes in after connecting with a long ball from up the field. Keeping composure he drilled a shot low and hard but Billy Terrell did well to get down, block the chance and see it go out of play for a corner.

Brandon Goodship looked to be struggling from the earlier challenge and was replaced by Francis Amartey after 17 minutes.

Brandon Goodship receiving treatment against Eastbourne Borough (Image: Mark Probin)
Malachi Linton did well to carve out a chance for the Terras in the 38th minute. The ball was fed into the path of Ezio Touray whose efforts were twice deflected by goalkeeper Joe Wright but only as far as Andreas Robinson.

He struck from the edge of the box but the goalkeeper smothered the ball to alleviate the danger.

The Terras were starting to turn on the pressure with a string of corners moments later, won by Amartey. Charlie Rowan rose highest at the back post to meet Leo Hamblin’s corner, but the ball went wide of goal.

Malachi Linton vs Eastbourne Borough (Image: Mark Probin)
Ten minutes of added time were awarded to Weymouth after the first half injuries and substitutions.

Linton won a free kick 20 yards from goal, giving Hamblin a shooting opportunity two minutes into added time but it was straight into the wall.

Eastbourne counter attacked from the set-piece with Bamba who dashed passed Thompson to cut inside and curl an effort which was inches away from the top right corner of the goal.

Sports keeper Joe Wright clasping hold of the ball against Weymouth (Image: Mark Probin)

The Terras were driving forward and were the better team in the start of the second half, as they looked to carve out opportunities.

Home fans and players were calling for a penalty after 54 minutes. Ezio Touray cut the ball back before driving into the box but was tackled by Carter in the area before he could get the shot away.

Lewis Sandoe saw nothing wrong with the challenge. Moseley was given a yellow card for dissent following the decision.

Eastbourne scored the game’s first 63 minutes in from a free kick after captain Tom Bearwish was adjudged to handle the ball around 30 yards from goal to stop the advancing Bamba, receiving a yellow card. Siyabonga Ligendza stepped up and curled the ball into the top right corner beyond Terrell’s outstretched gloves.

Siyabonga Ligendza (Image: Mark Probin)
Two minutes later Touray had the chance to draw the teams level from a header, but the effort loops over the bar.

With 10 minutes left, Moseley wanted to add to his attacking options on the pitch, bringing on Fareed Salifu for Bearwish and it almost paid off immediately. Salifu connected with the ball following a cross from Amartey, but the ball lofted over the crossbar.

Moussa Diarra put his body in the way to deny Charlie Rowan the chance five minutes from time after the Terras player took the ball down on his chest. Moments later Rowan had another chance over the bar.  

Five minutes of added time was not enough for the Terras, who have lost five on the bounce.  

Attendance: 880

Terras XI: Terrell, Hamblin, Thompson, Jordan, Brooks, Robinson (Pollock 90), Bearwish (Salifu 80), Rowan, Goodship (Amartey 17), Linton, Touray Subs: Armstrong.

Eastbourne Borough XI: Wright, Barry (Davison 23), Quick, Diarra, Ligendza (Harvey 88), McBride, Sesay, Carter, Davis, Bamba (Pavey 85), Odusanya Subs: Vukoje, Johnson