TERRAS’ STOCK IS NOW RISING
BUOYED Brian Stock heaped praise on his Weymouth troops – and hopes victory over high-flying Hartlepool can be a springboard for their season.
Captain Josh McQuoid netted the only goal five minutes from time against a Pools side who had substitute Luke Molyneux sent off for a high boot on Cameron Murray.
But the Terras were also indebted to a terrific display of goalkeeping from Ethan Ross, who made a string of fine saves to keep Dave Challinor’s side at bay.
Delighted Stock said: “I have to give the lads a lot of credit, they stuck to the game plan, the way we pressed and were compact.
“We restricted a team that was free flowing in term of goals, a very resolute performance.
“I thought the tactics were spot on today, and we go to Aldershot on Tuesday, taking the confidence from this game and build up and hopefully this will be the kick start to the season.”
Ross’ action-packed afternoon began as early as the 13th minute with a fine save to deny defender Ryan Johsnon. The ball was whipped into the box following a cleared corner and Johnson’s downward header was palmed away by Ross before it was cleared from danger.
Boosted by that, it was Weymouth who took the lead in the game five minutes before the break. New signing Andy Dallas was brought down just outside the area by Timi Odusina, Ollie Harfield delivered the cross with his left foot towards Ben Killip’s near post and McQuoid headed it into the corner.
Challinor responded by making a triple substitution on the hour and it almost paid dividends. David Ferguson’s corner was flicked on by Gavan Holohan towards sub Mason Bloomfield but Ross stretched out his palm out to deny a certain goal.
Things got worse for Pools when Molyneux was shown a straight red card by referee Matthew Russell on 69 minutes – just nine minutes after coming off the bench – for a high boot on fellow subs Murray.
Weymouth pushed for a killer second and Dallas almost capped his debut with a goal deep into added time, taking the ball into the area but Killip came out well to dispossess him and ease the danger.
Challinor said: “I thought we’d done enough to get something from the game but ultimately we conceded a goal from a set- piece. We had oppurtunities, half oppurtunities to score and not take them and ultimately that’s the fine margin between winning and losing games.”
Asked whether the twoweek break from their last game against Wealdstone had impacted on their performance, Challinor added: “No, not at all, we had a really good week in training and came into the game fresh and in form, we knew the game would be a difficult one.
“We tried to win it in the first half in a pretty manner rather than put it on them and we have to learn from that.”