WEYMOUTH manager Mark Molesley was dismayed at the Terras’ defending from a costly set-piece in the 1-0 Vanarama National League South defeat at Dorking.
Jimmy Muitt nodded in at close range from a seventh-minute corner to inflict Weymouth’s first league defeat since a 4-3 loss to leaders Wealdstone, ending a fabulous 11-game unbeaten run.
Weymouth now slip to fourth, with Dorking just a point behind in sixth, following a defeat which left Molesley “disappointed” by the Terras’ lower-than-usual standards.
He told Echosport: “It was always going to be a tough game coming to Dorking, they’ve got a good record at home, experienced players and a good team.
“They showed that and made it tough for us. We’re disappointed by our standards. We didn’t start the game anywhere near well enough and conceded a soft goal.
“If we weren’t at our best, we could at least have come away with a draw if we’d dealt with a set-piece better.”
Molesley was also irritated by Weymouth’s lack of invention at the other end.
“It’s unlike us not to be creating some clear-cut chances,” he admitted.
“One, you have to give credit to Dorking. Two, we were a little bit lacklustre, slow out of the traps and we invited them on to us.
“We gave them motivation to carry on that performance when we should’ve started a bit better and got our rhythm going.
“Sometimes away from home at tough places it’s hard to get hold of the game to swing it back in your favour.
“The second half we were improved and asked more questions, but still not enough from our point of view.”
One small positive for Molesley was the return of Ben Thomson from an injury sustained during the 1-1 draw at Billericay.
He said: “Thommo has done an hour so it’s good to get an hour’s football in his legs and I’m sure he’ll be better for that going forward.
“There’s not too many positives we can take from the game because we’ve lost it. We’re disappointed – we don’t taste defeat that often. It’s quite raw after the game.
“The good news is we’ve got a game (tomorrow) to react, respond and come out fighting.”
Weymouth visit Hemel Hempstead in league action tomorrow (7.45pm).