Frome’s excellent start to the season continued as they won 2-0 against Weymouth thanks to a super goal from Jon Davies after 21 minutes, and despite Weymouth playing with ten men for the whole of the second half, the visitors dominated possession but couldn’t find an equaliser and in the third minute of stoppage time, super sub Jake Jackson popped up to score his third goal in successive matches to give Frome all three points.
With Darren Chitty returning between the sticks and new signing Clayton Green starting at left back in place of Jordan Walker, those were the only changes as manager Josh Jeffries kept faith with the side that has started so well this season.
A tentative opening from both sides saw Weymouth the first to show as Chris Sheppard thudded a shot into the midriff of Chitty from 15 yards, but then Frome replied straight away with an attack that led to a header over the bar.
As Frome started to get things together in the attacking department, Mike Bryant was on the end of two unpunished heavy challenges that eventually saw him substituted a few minutes later by Josh Ferguson due to injury.
The 14th minute saw chances at both ends as first Chitty bravely saved at the feet of ex Robin Ben Thomson, then Frome immediately countered and Darren Jefferies produced a whipped in cross that headed off the Weymouth line by a defender.
Chitty brought off a great save in the 19th minute as Billy Lowes carved into the Frome defence and hit a low shot that was destined for the far corner, but then Frome took the lead two minutes later as a great run from Jon Davies saw him go past four challenges, shrug off a push in the back and produce a superb shot with the outside of his right foot that curled low into the far corner with Jason Matthews just getting a touch.
As Frome started to look capable of increasing their lead, Weymouth’s Chris Sheppard picked up the first yellow of the night as he flattened Davies down from behind after the Frome player had nicked the ball off him in midfield. The tackle led to a melee of players, but the only card shown was to Sheppard and it would prove costly later on.
Weymouth had a golden opportunity in the 36th as ex Robin Aaron Rodriguez produced a peach of a cross to the far post only for Dan Smith to miss the target with his header, and after Matthews had been lucky to get away with a fumbled save for the visitors, Frome were a little lucky in the 40th as a good move led to a shot from Sheppard that took a deflection for a corner.
Sheppard’s evening was to end a minute before half time as he was robbed by Josh Jeffries and as he produced another crazy tackle to take the Frome player down, the referee had no alternative but to show him his second yellow of the evening, and those were the only two yellow cards in the first half.
As Davies swung the resulting free kick in, Marcus Mapstone headed over the bar, but Weymouth were unlucky a minute into injury time as a good left wing move led to ex Robin Mark Cooper thumping the ball home only for it to be ruled out by the linesman’s flag.
The second half saw Weymouth effectively running the game for the first quarter despite their numerical deficit, but the Frome defence is a tight, well organised unit this season, and in the end it was Frome who had the first real chance as a great Jefferies run took him past two before shooting wide of the far post.
Frome continued to defend in their own half, and they nearly increased their lead in the 73rd as Jackson was just beaten to the ball by Matthews, but with the Weymouth keeper and manager well out of his goal he passed the ball to Davies who tried an audacious lob from fully 40 yards only for it to clear the bar.
Chitty again kept Frome in the lead as he dived well to his left to deal with a deflected shot, and then the tackle of the night came from Clayton Green in the 79th as Frome were caught in possession upfield and as Charlie Davies stormed in on goal Green made a lot of ground to producing a stunningly timed saving tackle.
Frome almost made it 2-0 in the 81st as Kris Miller beat the keeper only for the shot to be chested off the line by Jake Wannell, but when Frome’s nemesis Stewart Yetton came on with 6 minutes left, the home crowd were holding their breath as Weymouth threw everything they had at the Frome defence, and they held their breath as the whistle went in the scramble to get to the ball after it had bounced off Chitty, only to breathe again as the free kick was awarded to Frome.
With three minute of stoppage time played, Frome sealed the game as Ferguson won the ball in midfield and a lovely interchange of passes opened the defence up for super sub Jake Jackson to score his third goal in successive matches after coming on as substitute, with a shot from 12 yards that flew into the net to great relief and applause.
So the good times continue to roll for Frome and it’s a credit to the management and the team that 3 wins and 1 defeat leaves them in third place in the league. Good stuff.
Clayton Green was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match award for a very impressive display at left back by representatives of Clive Lewis Lettings Ltd who had sponsored the match.
