City blew their chance
to go into the top six with a woefully inept defensive
performance against lowly Weymouth at the Wessex Stadium.
Webb was missing with a sore ankle sustained against
Bromsgrove, but with Burns and Holloway returning from
suspension the side was full of confidence. From the kick
off it seemed City could look forward to dominating the
game as Hemmings caused early problems for the Terras
defence. However Fergusson wasted an early free kick and
gave the home side chance to settle.
Weymouth soon took
the initiative with City old boy Paul Adcock getting the
6th minute breakthrough. the City defence stood off as
Weymouth surged forward and when Mokler dropped David
Laws' cross only Adders was on hand to tap the ball home.
City seemed shell-shocked and soon conceded a further two quick fire goals from Robinson and Powell. Mokler seemed
unsure of himself and Gary Thorne demonstrated why City
need a specialist left back sooner rather than later.
Weymouth were tearing City apart with every attack and
their 3-0 lead could easily have been added to as shots
whistled close to the Tigers goal.
Gloucester
desperately tried to compose themselves but were
exhibiting all the collective cool of a blast furnace.
Hemmings and Mings both seemed more intent on playing the
defender rather than the ball with Hemmings picking up a
booking for dissent. The older calmer heads did little
to help with both Kemp and Burns booked for awful lunging challenges deep in the Weymouth half. Tucker also went in
the ref's notebook for tripping Weymouth's David Laws as
he attempted to launch another run on the beleaguered out
of position Gary Thorne. City seemed to have no answers
except kicking out in frustration, a frustration
exacerbated by a fourth goal scored by the impressive
Hutchinson when Holloway went missing on the right. The
whole City defence was out of sorts and could have no
complaints at the score line. however Gloucester did
manage to pull one back before half time as Holloway and
Hemmings played in Wyatt down the right for a precise
finish to make it 4-1.
The one hopeful
sign for City fans was the renewed vigour instilled in
the side at half-time by Brian Hughes. City stormed
straight into attack having found a few extra gears painfully absent in the first half. Hemmings beat his man
a couple of times and Gloucester piled on the pressure
with a series of corners. One Wyatt corner was only half
cleared, and from the resulting scramble Burns was able
to turn and slam the ball in from close range. The stage
was set for one of the goals of the season so far as Gary
Kemp ventured forward in true style. The Terras midfield
stood off him obviously expecting a characteristic hoof,
but instead were only able to watch in awe as Kempy
powered the ball in from fully 30 yards with a curling
drive that flew inches inside the left post.
Weymouth were
understandably rattled and it really seemed as if City
were likely to not only equalise but even win the match.
City poured forward with Hemmings and Burns especially
troublesome, it was now Weymouth's turn to lack
composure. Defender John Waldock saw red for loudly
abusing a linesman and with the Terras a man short it
seemed only a matter of time before the equaliser came.
however a mart defensive substitution settled Weymouth
and for all the Gloucester pressure they couldn't quite
carve out a clear chance. With City pushed forward Adcock
was able to grab Weymouth's fifth on the break to decide
an exciting game.
Mokler
