| Boro' came
away from their difficult trip
to Dorset with a share of the
spoils against the Doc Martens
Championship second favourites.
Their hosts, now under the
charge of player/manager Steve
Claridge, the former Crystal
Palace and Millwall player,
are expected to swepp all before
them this season.
Weymouth started the game strongly
against a weakened Boro' side
who began without four key players
who were delayed by the traffic
problems on route.
It didn't take long for the
hosts to take the lead - 8 minutes
in fact - but it took a questionable
decision from the Assistant
Referee to allow a head from
the unmarked Claridge to open
the socring with the Boro' defence
static.
Boro' struggled to hold rampant
Weymouth and it was no surprise
when they doubled their lead
after 30 minutes. This time
slack defending allowed Sullivan
to make progress down their
right flank and when he found
Scott Partridge with an astute
pass the striker beat David
Hook with a shot into the corner
of the net.
Boro' went close through Robert
Charles and Brian Haule, but
the half-time whistle arrived
with the hosts in the ascendancy.
The second half began where
the first half ended with Weymouth
pushing to increase their lead
and Claridge almost delivered
only to be thwarted by Boro'
man-of-the-match David Hook.
Boro' started to create problems
for their hosts and Robert Charles
reduced the deficit on the hour
when he latched on to a fine
header from Pat Gavin to round
Matthews and hit home into an
empty net.
Charles almost levelled the
scores fter good work by Dyer
and Fitzsimon on the right,
but he skewed his shot wide
of the post. He did, however,
make amends moments later when
he latched on to a loose ball
before scoring the equaliser
via the foot of the goal post.
Despite protests that the Boro'
striker had been in an offside
position, the goal stood.
Steve Dogbe almost put Boro'
in front moments later but it
was left to Boro' custodian
David Hook to pull off a series
of fine saves to thwart determind
attempts from an increasingly
anxious home side to gain the
victory they so needed in front
of their own demanding fans.
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