Weymouth 1, Basingstoke Town 1

NEVILLE Roach continued his rich goalscoring form by netting the equaliser with an opportunist finish in front of 1,074 people at Weymouth.

With 10 minutes to go, the striker alertly nipped in to rob dallying Weymouth goalkeeper Jason Matthews on the edge of the area, to earn Town a deserved point from Tuesday's testing match.

The interception took him slightly wider than hoped, but Roach was able to sidefoot home from 17 yards.

It sent his manager Ernie Howe running onto the pitch in joy, while the excellent travelling support acclaimed the marksman as the home fans were silenced.

The goal was Roach's fifth in as many games and just reward for his perseverance throughout.

He was felled twice in the first half inside the Weymouth area - but referee Kevin Pike remained unconvinced.

Howe said the point was "very pleasing" because hamstring injuries to influential Argentinian duo Sergio Torres and Cristian Levis forced him into making changes at a place where "we knew it would be difficult and hard work to get a result".

Howe brought in Rob Westall and Darren Spong as replacements and they coped, but Town certainly missed the flair and ability of Torres in central midfield.

After Roach's ninth minute up-ending, by left-back Paul Gibbs, Weymouth started to keep possession better and dictate play, with captain and midfielder Paul Buckle at the heart of it.

The central pairing of Scott Smith and Jason Bristow again stood out, but Scott Tarr, currently enjoying a very solid period of goalkeeping, kept Town in the game during the first half with two superb saves.

Having already made two decent stops from Weymouth attackers early in the game, Tarr was on form to thwart full-back Robbie Pethick in the 36th minute.

Pethick got goal-side of Nathan Stamp and raced towards goal, letting rip from 16 yards out.

But 33-year-old Tarr made a superb one-handed save, pushing the ball over the bar.

He then had to be at his best again three minutes before the break.

Steve Tully slipped a neat reverse ball - that beat Stamp - into player-boss and ex-Leicester City stalwart Steve Claridge's path.

Claridge looked odds on to score, but his low shot was expertly repelled by a sprawling Tarr, ensuring a shut-out.

But on 60 minutes, Town's resistance was ended.

Home captain Paul Buckle caught Stamp out with a ball that found striker Tully, who controlled before firing past the advancing Tarr from 15 yards out.

Far from wilting, Town extended their efforts and Howe brought on the fresh legs of John Dyer and Rob Chamberlain - a recent arrival from Eastleigh.

Tarr had to make another decent save to keep out Adam Wilde's low drive before Roach pounced two minutes later.

And, like they did against Weston-super-Mare, Town pushed for a winner.

Dyer thought he'd got it in the 83rd minute, after making the most of Martin Whiddett and Roach's forward link-up play, but it was ruled out for offside.

Then, in injury time, Roach was put through down the right, advanced into the area and shot across goal. Unfortunately for Town, Matthews tipped it over the crossbar.

Town: Scott Tarr, Brett Cooper, Scott Smith, Jason Bristow, Nathan Stamp, David Ray, Darren Spong, Rob Westall, Martin Whiddett, Neville Roach, Stuart Tanfield (Rob Chamberlain 77mins). Not used: Ricky Allaway, Shaun Allaway, Liam Parrington.