New-look Terras are tougher to beat
Strugglers Weymouth showing fighting spirit in recent games
WE SPOKE to Neil Walton from the Dorset Echo for the lowdown on FC Halifax Town’s opponents on Saturday.
An overall view of Weymouth’s season?
Weymouth’s season has been about as topsy-turvy as you could imagine.
The Terras were as high as ninth after a handful of games this season, having beaten Maidenhead 3-1 and Solihull 4-3 away before drawing 1-1 with Notts County.
Fortunes have rapidly decreased since then with long losing streaks punctuated by the odd victory.
That trend ultimately cost previous boss Brian Stock his job as Weymouth lost their next seven league games after defeating Aldershot and King’s Lynn in consecutive matches.
New manager David Oldfield has won just once in nine games since his arrival but he has made Weymouth tougher to beat, the Terras having collected four draws in his tenure including an impressive point at Boreham Wood and against Chesterfield.
Are they overachieving, underachieving or where you expected them to be?
It’s fair to say that Weymouth are probably where they expected to be this season – in a relegation battle.
There are some huge clubs in the Vanarama National League whose budgets dwarf part-time Weymouth’s. While the Terras have boosted their training sessions to effectively become
a ‘hybrid-time’ club, the gap in finances remains huge and it is arguable that Oldfield’s men are punching above their weight.
There is serious talent in the team but results have not come consistently enough this season.
What’s the mood in the camp heading into this game would you say?
Overall, quite positive. Oldfield has managed to restore some sort of feel-good factor at the Bob Lucas Stadium, despite
only taking seven points in nine games since his arrival. Weymouth were unbeaten in three games before the defeat at leaders Stockport and will be confident of causing problems for a Halifax side who are also going well at the top of the table. What’s their style of play, what can Halifax expect to come up against?
Weymouth employ a possession-based game and have often troubled some of the bigger
teams with their quality on the ball, constructing some flowing moves but without creating the chances to match.
If they can find more precision in their final delivery and more composure in the opposition third they will be a handful for Halifax. Injuries/suspensions?
No suspensions but a number of players out injured. Andy Robinson (foot), Josh Leslie-Smith (concussion), Martell Taylor-Crossdale (knee) and Ben Thomson (groin) are among those struggling.