Game 13: Salisbury City 3.2 Weymouth (Southern Premier) 24.08.10

The last time I saw this fixture was almost two years ago with both teams hoping for a good season in the Blue Square Premier - Salisbury coming away with a 1.0 victory. Since then both teams have suffered from financial problems which have lead to demotion and points deductions.

Both teams went into this game with unbeaten records for the season. Salisbury had two wins and a draw thanks to a late comeback at Cambridge City while Weymouth had drawn all three of their league fixtures.

Due to the requirements of the safety certificate, the "away" end at Salisbury will be closed for many of the games this season to cut down the stewarding costs. For this local derby this end was open for supporters so I decided to make the most of it and wander round to the far end after picking up a programme. This decision was helped by the weather as it was a pleasant dry evening. Salisbury normally attack this end in the first half but after the coin toss the teams changed ends so it was Weymouth who were heading my way.

Salisbury started well and almost caught Weymouth out in the 4th minute from a freekick. The ball was outside the area and well placed for a shot but instead of this the freekick was chipped to the left to a player who ran into the space and then belted across the area. No-one was able to get the final touch to knock the ball in. After another freekick was hit wide by Adelsbury, the next chance fell to Joyce who took the ball down the right side before cutting in and placing a shot past the keeper but wide of the left hand post.

Weymouth started to get into the game and Salisbury keeper Smith had to be quick to come out to push away an effort from Dubois in a one on one. Weymouth also had a decent penalty shout after 24 minutes when one of their players went down under a challenge in the area. Despite the shouts of the crowd around me, the referee decided that there was no foul and waved play on.

Weymouth took the lead in the 28th minute with a well worked goal. The ball was played low into the penalty area and found Byerley in space. He dummied as if to take a shot and then took the ball past the sliding tackle of a Salisbury defender who was trying to cover the shot. Smith had also committed himself by diving to his right to save the expected shot and was on the ground, allowing the Weymouth player space to pass the ball into the back of the net.

Despite Salisbury having most of the possession they seemed to lack a cutting edge and were made to pay for this in the 36th minute. Giles mistimed a sliding tackle on the edge of the area and took out a Weymouth player instead of the ball. From the freekick, the ball was curved towards the far post where Gerring was unmarked. He dived in and put a header past Smith's hand and off the near post before bouncing in.

The Weymouth supporters around me seemed a bit in shock at having a two goal lead and conversation turned to head scratching as they tried to remember the last time that this had happened. One optimist pronounced that Salisbury would go on to win 4.2 and was quickly jeered by his friends for this suggestion.

Salisbury came close to pulling a goal back in the 43rd minute with a looping header. The Weymouth keeper jumped up and just managed to tip the ball over the crossbar for a corner. Just before halftime the ball was scrambled around the Weymouth area. McLaggon and Clarke both managed to get shots away but one was deflected out and one went wide of the post.

Salisbury continued to put the pressure on the Weymouth goal at the start of the second half as they switched to a 4-3-3 formation. Kelly had a chance to score as he cut in from the left but his shot lacked power and a cross to Wright may have been a better option as his teammate suggested. McLaggon had taken a knock at the end of the first half and didn't last long into the second half, deciding to walk off the pitch before the substitution was ready to be made. Bradley Gray was quickly off the bench and into the action.

Salisbury had a lucky escape in the 53rd minute. A dreadful pass in the area went straight to a Weymouth player in space. He had time to put a shot in which Smith did well to get down to and tip out only to see it go to a Weymouth player to tap in. Luckily the flag was up on the far side for offside so the goal didn't count.

Weymouth had another chance to extend their lead in the 72nd minute when a header from a freekick ended up just over the bar. I couldn't see how Salisbury were going to get back into the game but a minute later Bradley Gray gave them a lifeline with a 25 yard shot that flew over the keeper's hand, bounced down off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal.

This lifted the Salisbury team and crowd who got behind their side as they searched for an equaliser. Joyce came close to scoring in the 85th minute as he took the ball past his marker but his shot only found the side netting.

Time was beginning to run out when Clarke looked to receive the ball in the area. As he ran onto the ball a Weymouth defender took out his trailing leg and brought him down for a penalty.

Bradley Gray took the responsibility for the kick and whacked the ball in from the spot for the equaliser with two minutes left to play.

Sometime momentum can carry a team forward in these situations and tonight was a good example of this. As the clock ticked into injury time, Salisbury mounted a final attack. Casey had a shot blocked but the ball fell kindly for Joyce to hit a low shot past the keeper before he could react.

Somehow the Whites had come from two goals down to win the game in the dying seconds!