Weymouth Vs Chelmsford City
National League South, Bob Lucas Stadium, Saturday 26 April, 3PM
Rest easy, Terras fans!
This difficult season will finally be over, after we play mid-table side Chelmsford City.
Even the most positive fan would have to admit that this campaign has been a tough one, our early relegation at the start of the month officially confirming a millstone that had been hanging round the club’s neck all season.
Still, today doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, with one last opportunity to put a smile on our fans’ faces before we begin life in the Southern Premier League for the first time since the 2018/19 season.
Standing in our way are Essex-based Chelmsford, led by long-serving Bobby Simpson, who, despite failing to hit the play-off heights of the previous two seasons, remain one of the more established teams in England’s sixth tier.
HOW TO FOLLOW
We are delighted to announce that the ever-brilliant Ben Ashelford will be on commentary for the final time this season; 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.
WARREN’S WEYMOUTH
When our manager joined us at the end of last calendar year, today’s opponents were the first team we faced under his ongoing stint at the club.
At the time we were rock bottom, winless in the league at home all season and having not scored a goal at home before the 70th minute once.
His tenure as a Terra started with an impressive goalless draw against City who, despite being 15th at the time, had come off the back of two play-off finishes in as many seasons.
Particularly impressive given that Simpson’s side were in the trenches alongside Feeney’s Welling United just three seasons ago, as both teams fought to stay in England’s sixth division.
Then, if our first fixture under Feeney wasn’t impressive enough, our Boxing Day contest saw us come from behind twice against table-toppers Torquay United, the first goal coming from goal machine Brandon Goodship five minutes into the second half.
Just two games in under Feeney and we had already reversed a four-game losing streak in the league and scored at home before the 70th minute.
Now, we would all love to say that we immediately kicked on from there and ensured another season in the National League South ahead of us.
However, as we know, football is rarely ever that simple…
As we realised exactly three weeks ago with a trip to Eastbourne.
Still, under Feeney exciting times lay ahead – while we may be second-bottom on points, we are out of the relegation zone on recent form, with eight points in our last seven games.
While we will be looking to improve on that level of form going into next season, it certainly makes a positive change from getting zero points in our opening seven games this campaign.
Our home form has been possibly the biggest indicator of improvement – before Feeney’s arrival we had picked up four points in nine contests at the Bob Lucas Stadium, not winning once.
But since that first trip to Chelmsford, we have established 17 points in 11 games, winning four times.
Now, we’re up against City again, with the chance to make it five home wins in 12.
Whilst it won’t reverse our relegation status, it can, as Feeney said, help us “end the season on a high note.”
For the final time this season, let’s get behind our Terras!
