Match Preview: Alfie Lumb
The Terras face Ebbsfleet United at the Bob Lucas Stadium in a behind closed doors friendly this Saturday.
The match will be the final test for Brian Stock’s side before they are due to take on Altrincham FC a week later, their first fixture in the Vanarama National League.
Weymouth come into this game unbeaten in pre-season, winning their latest fixture 4-2 away to Slough Town last Saturday.
Ebbsfleet were relegated from the Vanarama National League last season in dramatic circumstances. The Reds sat outside the relegation zone when the league was postponed due to the ongoing Coronavirus Pandemic. The points-per-game system that was put in place to decide the season’s final standings saw the side move down one position by 0.002 of a point, and thus relegated to the National League South.
The fleet have not let this phase them, scoring 17 goals in their pre-season campaign. The Terras side will have to be cautious of Lee Martin. The former Manchester United and Millwall midfielder has 3 goals in his last 2 games.
The sides last faced each other in the 2008-09 Conference Premier, which was the Terras’ last campaign in the fifth tier. The visitors won both fixtures however with both sides’ form coming into the game, one would expect a close affair. This could be a pivotal game for Weymouth, as they look to continue their unbeaten run into the upcoming season, and the confidence gained from this could be invaluable for the side.
Thoughts from the manager
When speaking to Amberley Silk earlier in the week, the Terras boss said he had looked at this final friendly as a “potential marker for playing our strongest squad.” However Stock did profess that, due to the “volume and quality of the squad” that it’s still all to be determined for the arranged curtain raiser against Altrincham.
Opponents: Ebbsfleet United
Last Season: 22/24 in the Vanarama National League (relegated on PPG)
Home Kit: Red with White Shorts
Away Kit: White with Black Shorts
Manager: Dennis Kutrieb
