Match Preview: Weymouth v Dorchester Town – Saturday 30th July – 15:00
It’s our final pre-season fixture before the new league campaign gets underway next weekend, as we take on Dorchester Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium as part of our Dorset Fan Festival taking place during the day.
As our final pre-season game approaches, it’s been an eventful month of pre-season action. 17 goals scored and lots of lessons learnt, with David Oldfield and his backroom staff crafting the squad that will line-up for the next league campaign. As we enter the final week of preparations, this afternoon’s fixture will prove to be the final big test for Weymouth’s players to prove themselves and the final few trialists to try and seal deals for the new season. Following our win against Weston super-Mare, the gaffer commented on how important the occasion is for the club tomorrow with the Fans Festival, but in terms of the on-field performance, Oldfield stresses that it will be treated like every other game as he looks for the level of performance that will serve the club well in the new league campaign. It’s also a big day for our new arrivals, with Claudio Ofosu, Dan Matsuzaka, Harry Kyprianou, Jack Seddon, Luke Nippard and Keelan O’Connell, aiming to feature for their first Weymouth FC home fixture in front of our fans.
But David Oldfield and co will be aware of this afternoon’s opponents Dorchester Town who have been progressive in pre-season after a rocky start to their schedule. Losses against Portchester, Sholing, Portland, Wimborne and Bridgwater wouldn’t have been particularly inspiring for the Magpies. However, strong performances of late against Hamworthy United, which finished in a 3-1 win for Dorchester and a 0-0 draw against our rivals Yeovil, prove that the Magpies are starting to enter a rhythm and will be looking to cap off their pre-season schedule with a victory over the Terras.
@TerraStatman’s Facts of the Match
“Today we meet our rivals from over the Ridgeway, just one day shy of the anniversary of our last encounter. On that occasion, we ran out comfortable 5-2 winners in an entertaining game, with four of our five goals plundered by three players that are still in the Terras squad today. Ahkeem Rose bagged a brace that day, with Brad Ash & Tom Bearwish also profiting with a successful strike apiece. The now departed Brandon Goodship was the other onion-bag rustler that afternoon. For the Magpies, former Weymouth legend Ash Wells fired in a consolation as well as Sam Bayston.
This will be the 174th Ridgeway derby in all games, but we have played three teams more often in our history, Poole Town, Bath City and Ye0vil Town. In the 173 games to date we have amassed exactly 100 wins, 36 draws & 37 losses. Three of the draws on the field went to penalties, twice Weymouth being the ultimate victor and once the spoils went north of the Ridgeway.
We are currently enjoying a 12 game unbeaten run against our beach-deficient opponents with eight wins and four draws, although one of the games ending level was a spot kick victory for the Terras, a Dorset Senior cup tie in 2018.
Our last reverse fixture was a 0-1 defeat back in the Southern League in 2015, the only time the black & white stripes have tasted success in 19 games versus their southern rivals.
In the Claret & Blue squad today Tom Blair and of course Cameron Murray both once played up north for the Avenue stadium based outfit, whereas for the visitors Callum Buckley and Tiago Sa once graced the famous Bob Lucas carpet.
For more information of what’s happening during the day for the Dorset Fan Festival, click here.
#UpTheTerras
