SHARP DALLAS IS NO COWBOY
FREE-SCORING Andy Dallas scored for the sixth time in eight matches as Weymouth completed the double over promotion chasing Stockport County. The front man struck as early as the fourth minute before the Terras held on to inflict another defeat on Hatters’ new boss Simon Rusk. And it proved a bittersweet victory for Terras manager Brian Stock, who tweaked his side’s formation for the visit of the pre-season title favourites. “It is a testament to our players, a compliment, we had to change again because we wanted more aerial ability,” Stock said. “We stood strong, I thought we were the better side, we built that confidence. “I’m delighted, we stuck to the game plan and, man to man, we were excellent. Our work rate, our intensity – we have beaten a very good side.” Indeed, the Terras took no time to break down their visitors. Just three minutes had passed when captain Josh McQuoid carried the ball down the left, cut into the penalty area and relinquished responsibility to Dallas following a blocked attempt. Dallas still had a lot to do but was afforded time to pick out his shot and fired it past Hinchliffe into the top left corner. Shell-shocked Stockport upped the ante and went close to finding an equaliser six minutes later. Tom Walker’s cross from the left found Sam Dalby, whose header looped over Ethan Ross and looked certain to go in but for the intervention of Dominic Revan on the goalline. Stockport came out of the blocks the quicker in the second half and it wasn’t long before they were testing Ross again. Rusk’s side were relentlessly picking out balls and putting them into a dangerous areas and, from one, left-back James Jennings was denied by the alert Ross, who turned the ball onto the inside of the right post. The ball rebounded back into the danger area but Ross was again equal to the follow-up effort before the ball was eventually cleared away from danger. Weymouth had to clear the ball off the line again on 63 minutes. A clever move on the byline saw Alex Reid square the ball across to strike partner Harry Cardwell, whose clever back-heel appeared to be trickling, only for Harfield to deny a certain equaliser. “It was a difficult match,” Hatters boss Rusk added. “I was really disappointed with the nature of the goal, early on, and it made life difficult for us. It gave them the initiative and something to go on and defend.” “We had the right chances in the right areas to expect goals but it didn’t happen for us today. Ultimately, full credit to Weymouth.”