Weymouth V Maidstone United
National League South, Bob Lucas Stadium, Tuesday 21st January, 19.45 GMT
Welcome back, Terras fans!
A hectic January presents us our sixth of eight games in all competitions this month, another tough contest title-challengers.
Our last three games have come against similar-positioned teams, all of which have ended in narrow losses at our expense in games that could have gone either way.
The most recent will be a match we will want to put behind us – Saturday’s trip to Worthing ended in a defeat courtesy of a single goal by Worthing, when Temi Babalola tapped home to seal all three points for “The Rebels.”
Luckily, we have only had to wait three days to turn our fortunes around, as we line up against Kent outfit Maidstone United.
As Warren Feeney has already pointed out, “The Stones” are a “good side who have just lost for the first time in 19 league games”, form which has left them just three points off top spot.
If we are able to rectify our recent losses with a win tonight, we would be lifted off the foot off the National League South table, a position that would result in us being nine points off safety with a game in hand…
HOW TO FOLLOW
We are delighted to announce that the ever-brilliant Ben Ashelford will be on commentary tonight; click HERE to access his in-game thoughts.
Live updates will also be provided across our social media platforms, followed by post-match reaction being uploaded after the final whistle.
THE STONES CAN GET SATISFACTION
When ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back George Elokobi saw his side lose for the first time in 19 league games, after The Stones were handed a 2-0 defeat in Chesham, he seemed disappointed, perhaps unsurprising given their unbeaten run.
The Cameroon-born gaffer, though prepared to “give credit to Chesham,” felt that the team directed by Taskmaster co-host Alex Horne “wanted it a little bit more.”
But despite the Kent-based title-challengers’ loss last weekend, commitment would be a tough thing to dispute over their preceding 18 league contests.
A 5-1 loss at home to Chelmsford City appear to awaken something within Elokobi’s players; an immediate 4-1 win away to 10-man Enfield, which saw a hat-trick from Aaron Blair produced the perfect response.
Their next two games saw tonight’s opponents pick up another four points, and register the same number of goals, a clear short-term improvement following their heavy home defeat.
But their resurgence didn’t stop there, despite seeing knockouts in the Kent Senior Cup Second Round and The FA Cup First Round Proper.
10 wins, 27 goals and 35 points in an extra 15 games has seen The Stones most certainly get satisfaction by earning themselves a place in the play-off places, just three points off league leaders Torquay United.
Zooming into their more recent form, their last 10 games has unsurprisingly been more impressive than most other teams, their last 10 games taking them above even the table-toppers and only behind Boreham wood with eight wins and 25 points in that timeframe.
Going beyond simply the points-and-wins tally, they have not only scored more than every other side in their last 10 games but also, alongside Boreham Wood, conceded less than every other side.
With the exception of Eastbourne Borough, who bizarrely have scored six and conceded four in their last 10 games.
It is fair to say that tonight’s two teams have contrasting form…
