RASULO TO THE RESCUE AS TERRAS ARE DENIED
THESE two former Southern Premier rivals will have to go again on Tuesday after they could not be separated in a pulsating tie that deserved a winner.
Abdulai Baggie put the high-flying Terras in front ten minutes before the break but the visitors deservedly hit back through Giorgio Rasulo’s penalty six minutes into the re-start.
Top scorer Brandon Goodship should have won it for the Terras but saw his tame penalty saved by Banbury keeper James Goff, but home boss Mark Molesley was in buoyant mood.
“It was a typical, actionpacked cup tie and although disappointed with the draw we know we have to go there and do a job on Tuesday like we did there last year,” he said.
“It was a tough game, very nip and tuck but we stuck to our task even though it didn’t quite happen for us.”
In a very open first half, Rasulo was guilty of a glaring miss just seven minutes in when he sliced horribly from close range and then Rabi Shamsi was presented with a chance when keeper Jordan Seabright completely missed a bobbling ball but couldn’t roll into an empty net from an angle.
But it was the Terras who netted first on 35 minutes – McQuoid powered in another drive that saw Goff parry but the ball fell for Baggie whose shot found the corner via the head of defender Charlie Wise.
The visitors responded well as a Shamsi strike was tipped over by Seabright before the keeper pulled off an even better save to flick away Ricky Johnson’s fine header.
Again, fortune favoured Weymouth when, two minutes after the restart, a strong run and cut back from Greg Kaziboni saw Ricky Johnson fire well over of the open net.
But, three minutes later, Ben Thomson clumsily brought down Lee Henderson in the box and Rasulo confidently beat Seabright from the penalty spot.
The Terras were given the chance to win the tie with a penalty of their own on 74 minutes when Jordy Ngathe brought down Baggie, only to see Goff push away Goodship’s lame spot-kick.
The Puritans had one more golden chance but Jake McCarthy came to the hosts rescue, blocking out Rasulo with players queueing up to score.
Banbury boss Mike Ford said: “It was a tight contest. They were better in the first half and we were better in the second.”