WEYMOUTH manager Mark Molesley feels Redditch United could be galvanised when the Terras host the Reds at the Bob Lucas Stadium in the Evo-Stik Southern League Premier tomorrow (3pm).
United dispensed with manager Darren Byfield after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with St Neots Town, the point earned insufficient to save him from a run of one win in 10 league games. Captain Danny Jackman will take temporary charge.
But Molesley is aiming to focus on his team, who sit third, and ignore any distraction surrounding the Reds’ hunt for a new manager.
He told Echosport: “In some cases it could galvanise the squad.
“You don’t know what it can do to their players, whether they are disappointed, whether it galvanises them or whether they have got a new manager who comes in and who everyone is trying to impress. You just don’t know.
“I can’t control what Redditch do, I can’t control what their players think or how they act. The only thing I can control is our players and the way we prepare so I have every respect for Redditch.
“It is a shame to hear that Darren has lost his job, I think he was a young, good manager, I think he was doing some good things at Redditch and just had a little bit of poor form lately.
“They were up in the play-offs and they’re not far off (now). All I can control is how we prepare and what we do in the game.”
Molesley is aiming to build on last week’s 2-1 win at Banbury, a victory that extended Weymouth’s unbeaten run to four games, heading into a crammed festive period.
“Redditch are a similar team to Banbury with play-off aspirations, with good players and they are another team that are going to be hot on our tails.
“So we have got to be ready for that game, they come thick and fast now. We’ve got to try and keep our form going into the Christmas period.
“Strange things happen with games close together, it always throws up some random results. We worked really hard to put ourselves in a good position and we’ve just got to fight to stay in there,” he said.
Asked whether his side could make a statement of intent by beating Redditch before the keenly-anticipated Ridgeway derby with Dorchester on Boxing Day, Molesley denied that notion.
He said: “It’s not really about making any statements to Dorchester. We’re just in control of what we can do. I don’t know what Dorchester will think but you have to treat the game in isolation as a cup tie.
“That game will take care of itself, at the moment we’re just looking at Redditch and doing everything we can to secure three points.”
Club captain Ashley Wells could make his first start since returning from injury.
Mark Cooper had been scheduled to serve the final game of a three-match suspension against the Reds, but will now sit out against Redditch and Dorchester due to the postponement of the Dunstable Town game a fortnight ago.
