County face one of our longest journeys of the season this weekend as we head to Dorset to take on Weymouth, looking to build on last weekend’s victory with a first ever win against The Terras.
That second-half comeback against Wrexham at the weekend was a big result for County, lifting us to within a point of the play-off places at the close of play, in ninth place after eight games.
Midweek results elsewhere have seen Bromley and Altrincham climb above us with victories over Grimsby and King’s Lynn respectively, meaning the gap to the top seven is currently two points. A victory on the road on Saturday could see County finish the day as high as seventh, and in that final play-off space, should other results go our way.
Weymouth were the only side to do the double over County in the National League last season, despite their struggles at the foot of the table, and the Dorset side have had a solid start to the new campaign too. They currently sit 16th in the league table, three points behind County and four points above the relegation zone.
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Our Opponents:
Last season was Weymouth’s first back in the National League since 2009, having securing a second successive promotion with play-off final success against Dartford under manager Mark Molesley.
Last summer though, the club were dealt a blow as Molesley, the mastermind of their rise up the footballing pyramid, left the Club to join Southend United. Former Bournemouth Academy Coach and Wales international Brian Stock was brought in as his replacement.
Despite a famous win at Edgeley Park early on in the season, The Terras initially struggled to adapt to their new surroundings in the first half of the campaign, picking up just nine points from their first 16 league games to leave them in the relegation zone.
A 1-0 win over Hartlepool in January did spark an upturn in form for Stock’s side, as they went on a run of three wins in five games – more than doubling their tally of victories for the season.
The signing of young striker Andrew Dallas on loan from Cambridge United was key to their revival, as he scored 12 goals in 25 appearances – including the winner against County at the Bob Lucas Stadium in March.
Another January loan signing also had a major impact in turning their season around – goalkeeper Ethan Ross, now at County, made the temporary move from Lincoln, with his impressive performances in the second half of the season earning him their Supporters’ Player of the Year Award.
With the threat of relegation removed once the National League North and South had been declared null and void, the side continued to pick up points to move them away from the now redundant bottom three – claiming impressive victories over the likes of Bromley and Altrincham to go with those against County and Hartlepool.
They eventually finished the season in 18th place with 39 points, eight above King’s Lynn Town in what would have been the final relegation place.
The goals of Dallas have been lost over the summer in a blow for Stock and his team, with the striker joining Solihull Moors permanently, whilst promising young centre-back Jacob Mensah has been snapped up by League One Morecambe.
With Ethan Ross now at Edgeley Park, Weymouth have turned to a former County man in goal with the signing of Ross Fitzsimons, who spent the second half of last season in SK3 after joining from Boston United as back-up to Ben Hinchliffe.
The side have made a good start to the new campaign too, already accumulating eight points despite losing their opening two games to Boreham Wood and Grimsby.
Most notably, the side scored four past Solihull Moors in a 4-3 thriller away from home, before holding Notts County to a 1-1 draw at the Bob Lucas Stadium a week later.
They will be more frustrated with their recent results however, having drawn with bottom side Dover Athletic live on BT Sport before losing 3-1 at struggling Barnet last time out.
Regardless of results, the side haven’t been short of goals lately, scoring 12 in their last six league games – with summer signing Bradley Ash scoring three of them after signing from Chippenham Town. That goalscoring run will give them confidence, as they bid to make it a perfect three wins out of three against County.
