Marine 1 Weymouth 3

Match Report from Pete Crockett

Marine Push Terras in Absorbing Cup Tie

The scoreline will record that Weymouth progressed to the next round inspired by an excellent Tor Swann hat-trick. It will record rather less about an absorbing cup tie in which Marine twice struck the woodwork, had their moments of grievance and, for a spell in the second half, had the Terras distinctly feeling the heat.

The opening exchanges gave little indication that either side intended to surrender the afternoon quietly. Joel Halliday was quickly required to smother a loose ball at one end, while at the other Marine supporters appealed for a penalty when Dan Warre and visiting goalkeeper Benfield collided as the Marine man challenged for the ball. Warre appeared to take the goalkeeper’s fist to the head. It might generously have been regarded as an unfortunate coming together, but the home support was decidedly flummoxed to discover that the referee’s eventual decision was a free-kick to Weymouth.

Thereafter the first half settled into an even contest. Tyger Hall almost profited from a scuffed Benfield clearance, attempting an audacious lob which, had it dropped in, would have provided a memorable opening goal.

Instead, after 31 minutes, Weymouth scored one of their own. TOR SWANN battled through three challenges, manoeuvred the ball back onto his left foot and drilled a precise finish beyond Halliday. Marine’s response was immediate, Brad Hooper collecting the ball on the edge of the area and driving narrowly over the crossbar.

Weymouth might have doubled their advantage immediately after the interval. Swann escaped beyond the Marine back line, only for Halliday to stand tall and parry. Mitch Beardmore seized upon the rebound but sent his shot over. Swann threatened again shortly afterwards, another effort eventually being cleared from the line following a sharp intervention from Halliday.

The second goal finally arrived on 64 minutes. Lewis Brown played TOR SWANN in and, once the Weymouth forward had accelerated beyond the defence, there was a certain inevitability about what followed. He advanced on Halliday and finished with the composure of a man for whom the afternoon was proceeding very much to plan.

At 2-0 the game changed. Rather than subside Marine produced their best football of the afternoon. Hooper’s shot was fumbled by Benfield onto the post, the ball somehow staying out. Then Zach Rugman’s header appeared destined for the net until the goalkeeper’s trailing foot intervened. Ollie Case reacted quickest to the loose ball before going down under a clumsy challenge in the box. Again there was no whistle.

Marine’s pressure finally brought its reward in the 73rd minute. Hall drove an effort towards goal and Rugman supplied the most timely of touches, his flick wrong-footing Benfield and bringing Marine back to 2-1. Now the mood around the ground changed. Marine sensed possibility; Weymouth sensed danger. The assurance with which the visitors had played began to desert them as Marine pressed forward.

The equaliser came desperately close. Cheldon Valere cut in from the left edge of the penalty area and curled a fine effort beyond Benfield. For one tantalising moment it seemed destined for the bottom far corner. Instead it struck the foot of the post and rebounded to safety. Football matches can turn on mere inches. This one very nearly did. With Marine committed to finding the goal that would prolong the tie, spaces inevitably appeared at the other end. Halliday was required to produce an excellent save from Beardmore as an increasingly open contest swung from end to end.

The final word belonged to Swann. With Marine pushing men forward in search of an equaliser, Weymouth broke in the 90th minute and TOR SWANN completed his hat-trick with another assured finish. It gave the visitors a 3-1 victory, though the margin did scant justice to how closely the afternoon had been contested.

There was no shortage of endeavour from either side. The essential difference on the day was Swann: three opportunities taken with the economy and certainty of a striker enjoying his afternoon. Marine departed the competition, but certainly not meekly. Both teams left to warm applause after an entertaining cup tie in which the home side had pushed the visitors considerably closer than the final score might suggest.

Football, of course, is a game which leaves behind its collection of “what’s”, “ifs” and “maybes”. The “what” was the importance of the opening goal. In a contest as evenly balanced as this one whoever scored it acquired the priceless privilege of forcing the other side to come forward and thus leave spaces to exploit on the counterattack.

The “if” was really an “if only”. At two goals down Marine shed their inhibitions and attacked Weymouth with a vim and vigour which transformed the afternoon. Suddenly the Terras were being hurried, their passing disturbed, and their defence asked questions that saw them look discomfited. Which leaves the “maybe”. Maybe had Marine imposed that zest and zeal of the final third upon the game in its opening third might Weymouth have been denied the rhythm into which they settled? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Football always leaves us with the questions; the answers so often remain mere conjecture. I came away with the sense that, in those early skirmishes of the first third of the match, Marine marginally underestimated their own capability to unsettle a strong opponent. This has, after all, been an excellent start to the season, and here they pushed a Weymouth side who look equipped to prosper at the top end of their division.

More significantly, in the final thirty minutes, when Marine threw caution aside, the Terras were not serenely absorbing the onslaught; they were, at times, reeling from it. Perhaps that is the on-field lesson to carry forward. As players respect strong opponents, certainly, but not so much that in the early exchanges you slightly underplay your own strengths and qualities.

Marine have already shown they possess the capacity to trouble good sides. The next step in the journey may simply be having that collective confidence to recognise just how good a team they can be.

Come on Marine!

Attendance: 604

LINE UP’S

MARINE

Manager:	Bobby Wilkinson
Line-up:	Colours: Blue & White Hoops
No:	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1.	Joel Halliday (GK)
2.	Sam Turl (c)
3.	Rhys Tyler
4.	Olly Case
5.	Jowan Partridge			16.	Miles Ferguson 70’
6.	Tawana Changa			15.	Zach Rugman 46’	73’
7.	Sal Abubakar			18.	Cheldon Valere 67’
8.	Brad Hooper
9	Dan Warre			12.	Jordan Annear 72’
10.	Joe Shepherd
11.	Tyger-J Hall

Subs not used: 14. Lucas Wilkinson, 17. Jamie Edge, 20. Josh Blackwell (GK)
The Editors Star Player: Joel Halliday

WEYMOUTH

Manager:	Jamie Wells
Line-up:	Colours: Yellow & Black
No	Player	Goals	Card	No	Substitute	Goals	Card
1.	Gerard Benfield [GK]
4.	Kieran Douglas
5.	Sam Jackson		52’
8.	Tom Bearwish (c)		84’
9.	Toby Holmes			7.	Brooklyn Genesini 77’
10.	Michael Beardmore		45’	2.	Oakley Hanger 85’
11.	Tor Swann	31, 65, 90’
15.	Lewis Brown
16.	Euan Pollock			3.	Harry Hutchinson 90’
17.	Calvin Brooks
19.	Wes Fogden

Subs not used: 12. Will Keita, 13. Harry Dillion [GK], 14. Stef Stavrianos, 21. Rhudy Ntounda
Editors Star Player: Tor Swann