Match Preview: Weymouth v Welling United – Saturday 1st October 2022 – 15:00 – FA Cup 3QR
The Terras take on Welling United in the Third Round Qualifying Stage of The Emirates FA Cup at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
The thoughts of manager Bobby Wilkinson ahead of tomorrow’s clash:
On this week’s preparations: “We’ve had a good session this week in training, we go into the game full of hope that we can improve and build on Tuesday’s performance. The boys look like they’re believing in themselves, but it’s important now we show that level of consistency. We need to be able to up our intensity, our movement on and off the ball and also, crucially, be able to take our chances. That is the key to get us to the next round of this competition.”
On Welling: “Welling are having a fantastic season so far, we’ve had a look at them and we know it’s going to be a big challenge for us. They are a side full of confidence and had a decent result against Havant last weekend. But we can do all the prep and research into these sides we face, ultimately it’s about us, we need to be able to compete, let them know who we are, turn up and believe in ourselves. As a team, we’re looking forward to the game, but we have to be consistent, perform well and wear the badge with pride.”
On importance of FA Cup tie for the club: “Where we are as a club, it’s nice to be able to get away from the league and have a different focus. It’s such an important game for the club, can we be able to win some money for the club which will certainly come in handy. I’ve been here two weeks, we’ve managed to pick up some prize money already, but we’d like to win the club some more and would be nice to give back to the club as a team. We need to go out there and take the chance to win some vital money for the club with both hands.”
On squad fitness: “This is a difficult period for the squad, a few players are carrying some niggles and injuries and we have to manage one or two players as well. But as I’ve said in previous interviews, whoever goes onto the pitch have to stand together and fight 110% to win a game of football. I want to be honest about what’s going on behind the scenes with the players we have available, but ultimately it’s down to those who make the starting XI or are on the bench that they give their all for the club and for the fans in that moment.”
Fitness of Cam Murray: “Cam is out for 2-4 weeks with a hamstring problem, obviously this isn’t good news for the club. We want to get him back ASAP but we need to do the right thing for the player. As a team, we need to move on, whoever takes his place in the squad has to step up, show that they are capable and also it gives a chance for one of the youngsters to get onto the bench.”
On Jack Seddon: “Jack has signed for AFC Totton. He was a non-contract player and wanted regular football. As a club we didn’t want to stand in his way. You can never say never as to whether he could come back, but we allowed him to leave. He’s a fantastic lad, he goes with our blessings and best wishes for the future.”
@TerraStatman’s Facts of the Match:
Tomorrow represents match number 26 against this London-based-outfit who play in the very east of the ceremonial country of Greater London just south of the River Thames. Our overall record against The Wings is the very definition of a “coin toss” with an W11 D3 L11
tally. However at home we have at least more often clipped their wings with a W7 D1 L3 split in the archives. Our most recent encounters against the Reds was in our pandemic-curtailed 2019/20 National League South season under the stewardship of Mark Molesley. In game 10 in September of that campaign, we edged a tight encounter with Brett Williams scoring the only goal of the game in the 75th minute, just seven minutes after coming off the bench. In our return fixture in January (matchday 23) we enjoyed a slightly more straight-forward
victory with Baggie opening the scoring on the stroke of half time and although the hosts briefly restored parity in the second period, a Josh McQuoid penalty and a 96th minute strike from Jake McCarthy ensured we took all the points.
Our first meeting against Welling was way back in 1986. At that time we had been an established club in the Conference League since
its inception in the late 1970’s, around the time Welling formed as a senior side. Following a fairly meteoric rise up the non-league pyramid to its pinnacle, Welling faced us over three seasons from 1986 until our relegation in 1989, a certain Steve Claridge being the first Weymouth player to score against this team, ironically on the day tomorrow in October 1986. Our next convergence would be almost a decade later in our only FA Cup meeting to date, also in the 3rd qualifying round in 1998. At that time Welling were one step above us in the football pyramid and goals by Paul Adcock and David Laws were sadly not enough to progress in London as Welling won 3-2. The Wings made it to Round 1 proper that season and were awarded with a fairly plum tie at Bristol Rovers, losing 3-0. At the start of this century we were league rivals again and this time in the Southern League as we competed against each other over six consecutive seasons from 2000/01 with
mixed results. More recently we endured a FA Trophy exit at the last 64 stage in 2008 and a couple of pastings in the Conference South in 2009/10, 3-0 at home followed by a 7-1 reverse just 10 days later.
The stellar list of selected players who have turned out for both teams:
Tony Agana, Lionel Ainsworth, Daniel Bailey, Narada Barnard, Josh Carmichael, Adam Cottrell, Sam Cutler, Peter Kearns, Taofiq Olomowewe, Andy Townsend, Josh Wakefield.
Olomowewe is a current member of the visitor’s squad, and in fact scored in the last round in the replay against Fisher FC. “T” played 21 times for Weymouth last season, starting 20 times and scoring once from his defensive position.
Perhaps unsurprisingly in the last 24 FA Cup ties against teams playing at the same level of the pyramid, we have progressed 12 times to the next round – exactly 50% success rate. However on the last two happenstances we have bowed out following a replay. Most recently, of course, last season in the final qualifying round against some team based near Sherborne and before that in 2018 against Banbury. Home advantage does appear to have a massive impact though in the FA Cup, as when not travelling in the original tie we have only lost 2 of the last 15 home ties against teams at the same level with 7 outright wins and 6 going to a replay. Against all-comers home or away in this the Third Qualifying Round, we have progressed in four of the last five occasions, most recently a 4-1 win over St. Albans in 2019/20.
SUPPORTER INFORMATION
Season tickets are not valid for this fixture. Tickets are available to purchase by clicking here.
#UpTheTerras
