United are back on the road tomorrow, as they face Weymouth at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
United head to Dorset looking to build on their two previous draws at Farnborough & at home to Aveley last Saturday, but will face a tough test from the Terras.
Who’s the Boss?
Bobby Wilkinson was appointed manager of The Terras in September 2022, after the previous campaign had seen the Dorset side relegated from the National League. Back in January, Wilkinson extended his contract as Weymouth’s First Team Manager, with the new deal seeing him remain at the helm until the end of the 2025/26 season.
After his own playing career was cut short through injury, Wilkinson worked as a coach under Brendan Rodgers, and Brian McDermott at Reading. Wilkinson then went on to manage Hungerford Town, Wealdstone and Bracknell Town, leading Hungerford into the National League, and also winning the Isthmian League South Central Division One title during his stint at Bracknell.
Under Wilkinson last campaign, Weymouth won 14, drew 6 and lost 26. A difficult 2022/23 season was concluded with National League South safety on the final day with a 2-0 victory over Dover Athletic which saw the Dorset side move to 18th – it was the first time in 487 days that Weymouth had been outside of the relegation spaces.
How have they been doing?
Following on from their 3-1 defeat here at Plainmoor back at the start of December, Weymouth then went on a run of just one league defeat in nine games, including a four match winning run that saw them beat Slough ( 3-0 H), Taunton ( 2-0 A), Dartford ( 1-0 A) & Hemel Hempstead Town ( 4-3 H).
However the Hemel Hempstead win has proven to be their last league victory, and they come into this game winless in four having lost to Chelmsford, Worthing & Hampton & Richmond, though last time out on Tuesday night they were unlucky not to have got all three points against St Albans City, with the game finally finishing in a 3-3 draw, meaning the Terras come into todays fixture with ten wins, ten draws & twelve defeats, with 42 points from their 34 games played so far.
Player to Watch
Brandon Goodship came through the youth ranks at AFC Bournemouth though never got to make a first team appearance. While at the Cherries Goodship had loan spells at Blackfield & Langley, Dorchester Town, Hayes & Yeading United, Yeovil Town & Braintree Town, with the Glovers getting the the striker on a permanent basis following his release from Bournemouth in 2017.
His stay at Huish Park was short lived though and after playing just eight games for Yeovil he found himself on his way to Weymouth for the first of his spells with the Terras, scoring 75 goals in only 83 appearances between 2017-2019. The summer of 2019 saw the 29 year old heading to Essex and to Southend United where he stayed for two years, before he returned to the Bob Lucas Stadium for the 2021/22 season. Once again Goodship was on his travels this time to Salisbury for the 2022/23 campaign, before the summer of 2023 saw him return for a third time to Weymouth.
Played for Both
Keelan came through the academy at AFC Bournemouth, where he was from 2009 until 2018, and was then given his first professional contract at the Vitality Stadium, though he never made a first team appearance for the Cherries, and spent a loan spell in Scotland at Greenock Morton in 2019 playing 6 games for The Ton.
The summer of 2021 saw O’Connell depart the Cherries and head to the South West, joining up with United for the upcoming campaign following the Gulls disappointment in the previous season’s Play Off Final. The midfielder played 28 games for Torquay before his release at the end of the 2021/22 season saw him head to Dorset where he joined Weymouth.
Previous Encounter
Weymouth 1 – 2 Torquay United, Saturday 4th December 2021, Vanarama National League.
United secured their second away win of the campaign in some style, as Gary Johnson’s side strode to a 2-1 success over Weymouth.
With all the goal action taking place in the second period, it was two second half efforts that helped them to the three points, with Joe Lewis opening the scoring prior to Brandon Goodship’s swift equaliser, with Sinclair Armstrong responding equally as quickly to ensure The Gulls returned home from Dorset victorious.
Vanarama National League South | Weymouth v Torquay United | 02/03/24 | KO: 3pm | Live commentary via Official TUFC Radio available HERE