Substantial 22nd defeat was tough for Millers to take but they continue relegation battle with a midweek prayer and a trip to Saints
Weymouth 4, Aveley 1
SURVIVAL in the Vanarama National League South is beginning to look a bleak prospect for Aveley after Millers suffered a 22nd league defeat against fellow relegation battlers and bottom club Weymouth on Saturday (22 February).
The only consolation from a very disappointing outcome was that, of the bottom nine teams, Weymouth were the sole winners and only 20th-placed Welling United picked up a point.
So, the damage to hopes of getting out of the bottom four was not cataclysmic and Millers, who are now second from bottom, quickly have a chance to make some inroads with a crucial trip to third from bottom St Albans City on Tuesday (25 February).
Aveley went into Saturday's matched bolstered by two new signings.
Left back Jake Leahy and central defender Jack McDowell have signed on loan from Championship side QPR.
Leahy joined QPR at 12-years-old after being scouted through a local development team in his hometown of Farnham, Surrey. Jake signed his first professional contract with the Rangers in May 2024.
McDowell, moved to London last summer following a decade in the academy of Aston Villa, who he signed for as an Under-9.
Leahy was on the bench on Saturday, and made his debut when replacing Jaxon Brown on 79 minutes, but McDowell didn't feature.
Weymouth made the brighter start and Millers keeper James Holden was tested as early as the second minute, tipping a shot from Malachi Linton past the post.
And the Terras had another good chance three minutes later, but Tom Bearwish fired wide when well-placed after Holden had parried Linton's initial strike.
Millers began to get into the game and Harry Beadle forced a save from Will Buse, though the keeper wasn't really tested.
The deadlock was broken on 19 minutes when Millers ceded possession needlessly in midfield and a ball over the top set Linton free and this time, he was able to guide the ball past Holden.
It took Aveley just three minutes to get back on level terms when they won a corner that Weymouth struggled to deal with and after a scramble that involved the woodwork, Tyrese Owen forced the ball home.
That, sadly, was to be as good as it got for the visitors, though they did have a half chance on 25 minutes when Brooklyn Kabongolo was unable to react quickly enough when the ball broke kindly for him.
The home side's lead was restored on 29 minutes when Aveley struggled to deal with a cross from the right and Jake McCarthy was on hand to tap home.
David Hicks spurned the chance of a second equaliser on the half hour when he fired straight at Buse and six minutes later Terras were two ahead when more slack play in possession allowed the hosts to break and Brandon Goodship raced through to score.
Weymouth took the lead into the break, but Millers returned to the action looking a bit sharper and early pressure saw the ball come back of the home woodwork after a scramble following a corner.
Aveley made a number of changes, the most effective being the introduction of Manny Ogunrinde around the hour mark, but though his energy occasionally threatened, Weymouth always looked in charge and Buse was rarely worked as Millers lacked bite.
With six minutes of added time, there might have been a bit of hope left for the travelling Aveley faithful but that was quickly doused when Brooklyn Genesini, who had earlier tested Holden with a powerful shot, found the net second time around with a strike that saw the ball drilled into the bottom corner and the hosts were comfortably home and hosed.
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