Match Preview: Worthing (A) – FA Trophy Round 2 – Saturday 19th November – 15:00
The Terras move from one cup competition to the other, as Weymouth are in FA Trophy Round 2 action tomorrow against Worthing.
Manager Bobby Wilkinson spoke to us ahead of tomorrow’s clash:
On preparations: “We’ve had a good training session, we’re looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead. It’s another cup competition that we can fight for so we’ll be right up for it tomorrow.”
On FA Trophy prospects: “I’m a fan of this cup competition, I love it. a few years ago I got to the semi finals. Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely broke my heart we got beat by Brackley, we were only 90 minutes from Wembley. But now I want to try and be able to match it with Weymouth. Can we do something special ourselves?”
On Worthing: “They are a 4-4-2 formation side, they have good forwards, have lots of energy across the pitch and are good with their passing play around well on the astro-turf. We have to be able to match them man to man, it’s going to be a particularly difficult tie, but we are looking forward to it.”
On team news: “Unfortunately, we are really light on numbers. Credit to the boys who have been training as they have got on with it with a great attitude despite the low numbers. Ultimately, it is what it is. We have Harry Kyprianou now out for about 6 weeks, Tom Bearwish will not make the squad tomorrow, Luke Nippard is still struggling but he’ll make it tomorrow, Teddy Howe, we’ve been told is going to be out a lot longer now unfortunately, Josh Oyinsan has broke a rib but will still make the squad. So we’re certainly up against it tomorrow, but we’re going to go for it like normal.”
On whether there will be new faces in the squad given the absences: “Hopefully, we can get a new face in tomorrow to help make up the numbers as we are really struggling. Brendan Willson and Ed James are back in now. We are finding it hard, but it’s nothing we wont have a go at or complain about. Obviously, it’s a big loss to not have these players with us, especially with Howe now out for a long time. When you lose both your full backs in a short space of time like this, it’s really harsh. But we’ve cracked on this week and we’re going to go for it tomorrow.”
@TerraStatman’s Facts of the Match:
Just the one game against Worthing before today in the spreadsheet and that was Matchday 3 this season when the Woodside-Road-based-outfit visited the Bob Lucas Stadium and returned home with as many points as fish they sport on their club crest – three. On that day it was a Pearce brace and a Colbran drive in the net for The Mackerel Men. (Since that time five of the fifteen men playing for Weymouth that day have swum away).
There are no known ex-Terras in the current visiting squad but a handful from years gone by including Lee Charles, Steve Cook, Steve Claridge, Jefferson Louis (of course), Matthew May & Paul Odey.
This is of course our second cup game in a row and going straight from a FA Cup game to its sister trophy used to be a common affair for us, occurring four seasons in a row in fact from 2011/12. Therefore we can’t quite yet “concentrate on the league” but despite this probably feeling like an “after the Lord Mayor’s show” match it’s an important tie to try to win financially as teams outside the National League have enjoyed runs all the way to the final in recent seasons.
Our recent record in the FA trophy in this round is actually a little tricky to compare due to the way the rounds have changed in recent years, but this is the 2nd Round which equates to the 3rd Qualifying Round the last time we entered at this point in 2019. On that occasion, we vanquished Worthing’s (fairly) local rivals Hastings United and we have in fact progressed from this stage on 7 of the last 9 occasions.
#UpTheTerras