CIRENCESTER TOWN 0

WEYMOUTH 1

Byerley 89

WARREN Byerley’s late strike handed Weymouth a welcome victory over fellow strugglers Cirencester Town at the Corinium Stadium last night.

Although both sides entered the Evo-Stik Southern Premier clash having conceded 19 goals in their opening eight games, a goalless draw looked on the cards for much of the evening until the Terras’ top scorer pounced to net his fifth of the season with just one minute remaining.

Visiting boss Brendon King, who was understandably overjoyed at the final whistle, said: “It was a game we deserved to win.

“The boys worked hard and got their just rewards. They kept going right up until the end and we eventually got that bit of luck we have been looking for with Wozza nipping in and taking advantage of a bit of hesitancy between their keeper and one of their defenders.

“To come away with the three points and a clean sheet is just fantastic and I was delighted with the performance as a whole.

“Our shape was good, we were disciplined throughout and the work rate all over the pitch was fantastic. And when you consider how far we have travelled tonight you have to take your hat off to each and every one of the players, who were magnificent.”

King made three changes to his starting XI with Sam Poole, Byron Napper and Mitch Conning replacing Mark Peters, Ollie Tribe and Ryan McKechnie.

The latter two dropped to the bench while Peters missed out completely having been released late on Monday night.

Tom Manley was again preferred to Nick Jordan between the posts and he produced a series of solid stops to keep the score goalless going into the break after Byerley had gone close in the opening minutes in a fairly even first half.

Ben Gerring also picked up a caution for a heavy challenge on six minutes but both him and Poole looked solid at the heart of the back four, which also included Tim Stephenson and Scott Dixon in the full-back roles.

A brief scare at the start of the second half then saw Cirencester waste a glorious chance from close range before the Terras began to build a sustained period of pressure at the other end with Mitch Conning and Richard Marshallsay both being denied by fine saves.

The game then began to open up in the final 20 minutes and with Manley and his defence growing in stature, the visitors went in search of a winner and following an unsuccessful effort from Sam Malsom, they were eventually rewarded.

The industrious Marshallsay made a fine intervention in midfield and when his ball over the top caused hesitancy in the Centurions’ backline, Byerley pounced and applied a cool finish, much to the delight of the travelling fans.

Town’s heads immediately dropped after that and just a minute later a frustrated Mitchell Bryant lost the plot and stamped on Gerring, giving the man in the middle no other option but to raise the red card, enabling Weymouth to see out added-time with consummate ease.

King added: “Hopefully, this will give us a bit more belief now and we can go on a bit of a run and lift everyone at the club.

“If we continue to work as hard as we did tonight then I have no doubts that we will have every chance of doing that and climbing the table.”

Terras: Manley, Stephenson, Dixon, Gerring, Poole, Napper, Reed, Marshallsay, Conning (Groves 68), Malsom, Byerley (Tribe 90+1). Subs not used: Jordan, Murray, McKechnie. Bookings – Weymouth: Ben Gerring (foul).

Cirencester: David Murphy (dissent).

Dismissal – Cirencester: Bryant (violent conduct).

Attendance: 121