Down and out

YORK CITY 2

A GOALKEEPING clanger by on-loan stopper Adam Legzdins condemned Weymouth to the drop at the Wessex Stadium last night.

The Crewe Alexandra keeper failed to deal with a cross allowing Adam Boyes to deliver the final nail in the Terras’ coffin after the hosts had showed supreme mettle to cancel out Richard Brodie’s early opener through Cliff Akurang just before the break.

In fact for much of the second period it looked like the Terras would go on to get the three points they desperately required with Akurang having an effort cleared off the line and Dominic Merella being denied by visiting keeper Michael Ingham.

Ultimately though Weymouth’s three-season stay in non-League’s top-flight came to an end but at the final whistle the home fans spared their despair and replaced it with warm applause for a side who really did go down fighting.

Terras’ boss Bobby Gould made two changes to his starting XI with Sam Cutler and Raiff Gwinnett replacing the injured Jordan Collins and midfielder Stephen Reed, whose career at the Wessex Stadium looks over after he was asked to leave the club on Thursday due to ‘an internal club matter.’ With no Reed in the side, Cameron Mawer was the only surviving member in the line-up who started Weymouth’s opening home game of the season against Grays Athletic, which they won 3-1.

Injuries to Marcus Browning and Callum Hart and Stephen Cooke’s unavailability due to family reasons meant Gould had to fill his bench with three under-18s in Jamie Frampton, Tom Richardson and Terngu Agera. Simon Evans and striker Pierre Joseph-Dubois were the other named substitutes.

York made a bright start and nearly took the lead on four minutes when a long free-kick into the area was not dealt with allowing City’s top-scorer Brodie to fire across the six-yard box. But such was the pace on the ball Christian Smith was unable to divert it towards the target.

Daniel McBreen then drove a shot straight at Legzdins after an error by Gavin Hoyte before Boyes put Brodie through who shot across goal and wide of the far post after being put under pressure by the retreating Kyle Critchell.

The Terras clearly looked nervous and on 10 minutes the Minstermen created another good opening only for Boyes’ strike to deflect off the boot of Hoyte and over the bar.

The hosts had a tame shout for a penalty turned away when Ben Gill went down theatrically in the box following a corner but on 14 minutes the Minstermen deservedly went in front.

McBreen got in behind Gwinnett on the right and squared for Brodie who was given the freedom of the area to nonchalantly take the ball with his instep and send a clinical volley into the left corner of the net.

The Terras’ response was to push Merella up front for a short period alongside Fola Onibuje and Akurang but City continued to threaten and on 20 minutes Brodie had a header from a corner cleared off the line by James Coutts.

Legzdins then denied Boyes twice in quick succession before Wey-mouth began to edge their way back into the game with Akurang and Onibuje both having headers denied by York keeper Michael Ingham. The Terras continued to deliver threatening balls into the Minster-men’s box and after Akurang sent a half volley wide and headed over from a free-kick from Coutts the on-loan striker netted a dramatic leveller on the stroke of half-time.

Merella turned on the edge of the box and when his deflected strike found the hands of Ingham there seemed no danger but the keeper somehow allowed the ball to slip from his grasp enabling the alert Akurang to tap in from an acute angle.

That certainly lifted the home fans at the interval and the Terras continued the onslaught at the start of the second half. Merella burst into the area on 47 minutes and put the ball across the six-yard box only for Akurang to see his effort hacked off the line and the ball scrambled clear.

York’s defence was now looking a bag of nerves as Weymouth kept coming forward with Coutts firing over from 20 yards after a lay off by Onibuje.

City then wasted another opening when McBreen lashed the ball over at the far post before Cutler had a strike across goal stopped by Ingham.

The shaky nature of the contest continued when York skipper David McGork hesitated when dealing with a routine long ball on 62 minutes and allowed Merella to get in only to see his shot blocked by the onrushing Ingham.

Next it was Legzdins’ turn to make a mistake when he spilled a cross from the left only to make amends by blocking McBreen’s follow up strike out for a corner.

The passion and spirit that was being displayed by the Terras was fantastic but on 76 minutes that turned into heartache when Brodie got behind the home defence and sent in a weak cross that Legzdins carelessly palmed into the path of Boyes who fired home to York’s relief.

The Weymouth keeper tried to make amends by producing a couple of top-class saves to deny Christian Smith, who then missed a sitter from 10 yards after more good work from Brodie.

The Terras then tried to raise their game in the final stages by bringing on Joseph-Dubois but they were unable to get back in it and while York celebrated safety the Terras were left to reflect on another turbulent campaign that on this occasion has ended with the disappointment of relegation.

Terras: Ledzkins, Critchell, Hoyte (Frampton 87), Mawer, Gwinnett, Cutler, Gill (Joseph-Dubois 81), Merella, Coutts, Onibuje, Akurang. Subs not used: Evans, Richardson, Agera.

York: Ingham, Purkiss, McGork, Parslow, Pejic, Mackin, A Smith (Greaves 57), C Smith, Boyes, McBreen (Sodje 90), Brodie. Subs not used: Brown, Torpey, Robinson.