Town take a point from battling draw at Weymouth

DRAW specialists Stratford Town shared the points for the 13th time this season with a determined performance at Weymouth, writes Bryan Hale.

Edwin Ahenkorah fired Carl Adams’ side ahead from the penalty spot, but Jake Wannell's equaliser ensured it finished 1-1 at the Bob Lucas Stadium.

Kieren Westwood and Ben Stephens were both ruled out through injury, but Simeon Tulloch returned after completing his suspension and Jean Kalenda completed the starting line-up.

Stratford made a bright start and went ahead in only the sixth minute when Ahenkorah was upended by the Terras skipper Stephane Zubar just inside the penalty area.

Referee Iain Parsons immediately pointed to the spot and Ahenkorah got up to drill the ball into the bottom corner as keeper Tom McHale dived the wrong way.

McHale then made a point-blank save from Justin Marsden before Weymouth equalised on 17 minutes.

Chris Shephard drove in a low corner from the left and Jake Wannell thumped it past Niall Cooper from the eight yards out.

Stratford had a great chance to regain the lead soon after when Simeon Tulloch nicked the ball off Ashley Wells to thread it through to Mike Taylor, but after skipping round McHale, the powerful striker dragged his shot wide.

Instead, it was the Terras who almost took the lead five minutes before the break when Cooper plunged to his right to push away a fiercely struck effort from the dangerous Shephard.

Stratford went agonisingly close to going back in front ten minutes into the second half when Ahenkorah intercepted a poor clearance from McHale but the keeper redeemed himself by beating way Ahenkorah’s shot and Marsden’s attempt rom the rebound clipped the top of the bar on its way behind.

Then it was Stratford’s turn to survive with 20 minutes to go when Cooper spectacularly turned behind a thunderous effort from Mark Molesley and from the subsequent corner Zubar’s header was cleared off the line by Dan Summerfield.

From then on Weymouth piled on the pressure, but Shephard blazed a free-kick wastefully over on 88 minutes, and deep into added time Weymouth’s appeals for a goal after a frantic scramble in the Stratford six-yard box were waved away as Adams’ men held on for another precious point.

Stratford Town: Niall Cooper, Jean Kalenda (Charlie Faulkner 70), Guy Clark, James Fry (c), Liam Francis, Dan Summerfield, Simeon Tulloch, Barry Fitzharris, Mike Taylor (Will Grocott 80), Justin Marsden, Edwin Ahenkorah.