As a rule ex-Dorchester players don’t get too friendly a reception at the Wessex Stadium.
But former Magpie Martyn Sullivan reckons he’s won over the Terras faithful after his third goal for his new club set up Geoff Butler’s relegation battlers for a vital home win over Newport County on Saturday.
“When Geoff signed me he told me some fans had put derogatory comments about me on the club’s website and when I made my home debut I got some stick from one or two people behind the goal,” said the Plymouth-born Sullivan who made well over 200 appearances for the Terras’ Dorset rivals.
“But I told Geoff I thought I was good enough to prove them wrong and hopefully they are on my side now.
“I’m a Plymouth lad not a Dorset boy and although I know there is a lot of rivalry between the two clubs I’m not part of it. I just want to play my best for whoever signs me.
“I only signed a contract here until the end of the season because at the time Weymouth were in the relegation zone and I didn’t want to drop down into the Eastern Division because as I found at Dorchester the travelling from Plymouth is a nightmare.
“Now I’m doing all I can to keep us up in the Premier Division and hopefully get myself a new contract here next season.
“Geoff has been brilliant for me because he liked the way I played for Dorchester against Salisbury when he was manager there and just asked me to play in the hole behind the front two which suits me fine.
“As the floating man you get to feed off the main strikers and as well as scoring a few goals I’m also creating my fair share as well.”
Butler, who saw his team rise to 14th in the table as a result of the win and put five points between themselves and the drop zone, acknowledged they had picked up “three superb points”.
“With the injuries and unavailability our small squad is stretched to the limit,” he said. “Newport are a good side and they dominated most of the first half when their tactics caused us a problem.
“But at half time we changed things to combat their extra man in midfield and second half we were much better.
“The only way they were going to get a goal was if we made a mistake and today we kept our discipline and defended well and Jason Matthews was as bright as button behind the back four.”
