WEYMOUTH will be bolstered by the return of defender Calvin Brooks as they look to continue their hot run of form today against Braintree in the Vanarama National League South (3pm).
Brooks made his return to the matchday squad on Tuesday and came on for the last few minutes as the Terras beat Hemel Hempstead 1-0 away from home.
The defender told Echosport: “It’s been about six or seven weeks and it’s been a bit of a tough one to be honest.
“The last game I played was on December 7 against Dorking, I went up for a header about ten minutes into the game and then I felt a funny feeling in my foot but I played through it and it wasn’t until the end of the game and I had a scan that I saw I had done some ligament damage.
“It’s taken a bit of time to heal but now it’s fully ready to go. All it is now is getting my match fitness up.”
He said it was “a good feeling” to get back on the pitch after so long out, but does not know how much of a role he will get to play against Braintree today.
“I have been prepared either way if so it’s from the start or off the bench, I just hope to make an impact whenever I get the chance to play.
“I know we beat them 3-0 earlier in the season but I remember from that game that they started really well in the first half. They have some good individuals that are sharp and bright so we need to get our game going from the first whistle.”
The Terras are now undefeated in their last five games and have won their last three away games, with another road trip today.
Their late heroics against Hemel Hempstead on Tuesday may have pushed Weymouth up to third in the league, but Brooks says the players aren’t dwelling on a promotion push.
He said: “I don’t think we are thinking about it too much to be honest. We had a couple of disappointing results over the Christmas period so we knew we had to bounce back.
“We have always tried to bounce back after disappointment which is why we have been so successful in recent years. We just hope to keep this run going.”
Weymouth boss Mark Moseley praised the players attitude after two last-minute wins in a row and Brooks says it is a key part of their game.
“It’s because we never stop, from the first to the 90th minute we think we are going to score.
“If you look back over the last couple of years you will see how many times we have scored late or won a game in the last minute. We wear teams down and reap the rewards late on.
“That’s when we show that never say die attitude, we have done that recently and it’s down to the mentality that’s been instilled into the players by the staff at the club.”
