No Way! Yes Way! Weymouh (And Others) FM 10

[Izulde]

The Story So Far
Untold numbers of defeats in FM simulation left Izulde Jestor discouraged. So too, were the Weymouth Terras discouraged upon being relegated to the Blue Square South for the 2010 season. The two seemed at least a temporarily worthy match.

Weymouth was projected to finish 16th in the league and had numerous holes. Jestor worked on plugging those holes throughout an uneven friendly period that started with an embarrassing 3-0 loss to the Reserves that saw the new manager shred his team.

But things gradually to improve with the importation of Assistant Manager Jeff Thorpe and a careful progression of adding pieces, coaches, and players, until the BSS opener on the road against Lewes.

There, the league losing streak was finally ended, as Kevin Townson, a striker familiar to Jestor from prior days and a transfer in, struck home a fluke goal for a 1-0 road win.

Transfers In
GK Kenny Schofield
With the Terras sporting a 17 year old youth player as their top goalie, finding a new netminder was a top priority. Schofield, 22, although considered a backup on most sides, was an instant upgrade and through two friendlies and the league opener, has allowed one goal. Certainly not the be-all, end-all, but serviceable for now.

DR James Allsopp
The only full-time player other than pre-existing loanee MC Ben Farrell, this 18 year old not only provided a huge upgrade to the right side of the defense, his full-time status and sterling potential, to say nothing of his $10,000 value, have already made him a fan favorite. One of the most mentally gifted players on the squad.

DC Paul Martin
The 23 year old was famously sent off in the first friendly with a red card for elbowing an opponent in the face. Although not drawing the acclaim or the performance of the previous two yet, he's considered one of Weymouth's top players in overall talent level.

MR Jon Else
One of the two players from Jestor's past, unlike prior simulated history, he will see no time at DR. Instead, Else is focusing his talents in MR.. or else. Both he, Martin, and Allsopp were all applauded by rapturous fans thrilled with their capturing.

ST Kevin Townson
The hero of the last game with his goal, he currently slates as a backup to Josh Llewellyn and Jake Reid, the latter of whom had a hat trick in the friendlies and scored 5 goals, but if he can keep playing well, he'll push his way fully into the starting lineup.

But that was not all. For the first time ever, Jestor's quest for a parent club was successful. In fact, archrivals Bristol Rovers and Bristol City warred to have Weymouth as their feeder, and Championship side Bristol City won out. As of yet, no loans have come from the new parental side, but the relationship will be an important one in the coming years.

[Izulde]

There Are Always Two - A Mentor And A Student
Team captain DRC/DM/MC Andy Harris, on advice from his manager and assistant manager, has agreed to tutor DR James Allsopp, the prize young prospect recently arrived to Weymouth. Allsopp in turn has expressed his joy at the opportunity to learn from the much-respected 32 year old.

Another Narrow Win
Although Eastleigh was favored and Weymouth played a lot of second teamers due to the tiredness of some original starters after the opener at Lewes, the Terras came away with their second straight 1-0 win. Andy Harris nailed a beautiful free kick goal for the difference maker, and Eastleigh's Tom Jordan was sent off with a red card after drilling Jake Reid in the 86th minute to prevent what looked to be a sure insurance goal.

[u]Trialist Goes Elsewhere[u]
MC Dorian Smith, who played well in the only two friendly appearances with Weymouth, spurned the contract offer from the Terras, most ungratefully choosing Basingstoke over the team that gave him an opportunity to showcase his skills.

Goals Galore
Again, Weymouth came in the underdog, although slightly so, when they hosted Bishop's Stortford. And indeed, it looked as though the Terras' magic had finally run out when Roy Essendoah struck a gorgeous goal for a 1-0 lead. But then Jake Reid drew a penalty and hit the kick for a 1-1 tie and later in the first half, Andy Harris struck a mind-boggling goal to make it 2-1 at the break. Reid added his second tally when a Bishop defender stood looking uncertain what to do with the ball, allowing the Weymouth striker to steal it away and put it home with ease. But that 3-1 lead was not to last, for Essendoah hit another score to make it 3-2.

Scrambling to try and play defense, the Terras got another goal when a perfectly placed corner kick by Harris was kicked in by Paul Martin for his first ever Weymouth goal and the 4-2 lead. Although Stortford added a goal off a corner of their own late in the game, Weymouth nonetheless ran out 4-3 winners, proving they could triumph in a goals fest as well as defense first.

Team of the Week Honors
As one might expect, Jake Reid made the Blue Square South Team of the Week after his stellar performance in Weymouth's first three league games.

It's All Square
In the run up to an away game at Maidenhead, all the media and opponents could talk about was how dangerous Jake Reid was. Sadly for Reid, Izulde Jestor opted to run a 5-4-1 defensive formation and the hot striker was unremarkable before being replaced by Kevin Townson. Although the Terras and Maidenhead both had their chances, it was all 0-0 at the end, disappointing Weymouth's fans, even though their Terras were in second place in the Blue Square South after the tie.

No Stadium Expansion Possible
While drunk one night, Izulde Jestor asked the Weymouth board if stadium expansion could happen. The board grimly replied that stadium expansion was not possible, not now or ever, due to the planning council's argument that there simply wasn't enough space.

Favorites Unfavored
For the first time in the young season, Weymouth was favored. But Worcester had other ideas and a well struck ball by the visitors resulted in an 0-1 defeat for the Terras, their first of the year, as what shots they made were all wild, the team unable to surmount the pressure from bookmakers, fans, and their tempermental bearded American manager. After games with numerous stellar performers, only DC Scott Brice stood out. With the defeat, Weymouth tumbled from 2nd all the way to 7th.

Dreary Draw
Although underdogs, Weymouth looked very much lackluster in their away 0-0 draw with Weston-super-mare. A fiery first half that led to complaints on both sides of ungiven penalties segued to a drab second period marked by no offensive fireworks from the Terras and only a spate of poorly constructed corners by the home side. Oddly enough, that single point zoomed the Terras back up to 4th.

Rejected By A Teenager
17 year old ML Ryan James, a prospect Weymouth was intrigued by, signed with Tamworth instead. Izulde Jestor was slightly grumpy, but the Terras stayed under wage budget.

Devastation
A surrendered goal on a corner to lose 0-1 for the second defeat of the season was bad enough, but injuries to captain Andy Harris and defensive center spiritual leader Scott Brice tripled the agony for Weymouth fans as they lost to H&W at home.

Scott Brice's neck injury, according to a specialist, would put him out for 2-3 weeks.

More Failure
Lewis Chalmer and Ben Watson, two unbelievably talented players, had interest in coming to Weymouth, but their wage demands proved too much for the Terras' tender budget situation.

The Faded Rose
Jordan Rose, who provided much versatility for the Terras, reacted with shock and anger to a mutual termination request by Izulde Jestor. So instead, he was released on a free, giving Weymouth a $31,000 per annum under budget. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to convince the board to let 18 year old phenom goalie Josh Pelling get his required money, which still would have left Weymouth under budget.

September's Start
The board declared themselves satisfied with the beginning of Izulde Jestor's tenure, applauding the signing of Jon Else and yet shaking their heads over the bringing in of Kevin Townson. $64,000 and more was lost in August.

The Expensive Loan
ST Ben Watson, unable to join Weymouth outright, opted to join them on loan until the end of the season. The Terras agreed to pay 50% of his $46,000 a year salary as all in the organization recognized the scoring droughts needed correction.

A Goal Finally Gotten
Yes, Josh Llewellyn finally got his first goal of the season, but sadly for Weymouth, it all turned out a 1-1 home draw vs. Bromley. Worse in the bargain, pricey new striker Ben Watson and Jake Reid both got banged up and fear clouded over Wessex Stadium, even with Paul Martin's sterling showing. And further down Terras dropped, to 11th.

Ben Watson went down for the count with a smashed elbow, keeping him out 3 weeks. Already the loan-in looked a poor purchase.

Coming Back For The Tie
Away Weymouth went to Thurrock, heavy underdogs. Down 0-2 at the half, the decline looked set to continue, but then halftime sub Kevin Townson shoved off all the frustration and anger over his poor performances since joining the Terras, and sparkled with two second half goals to grab the 2-2 draw. It wasn't enough to prevent a slip to 14th, however. As one might expect, Townson was named to the following Team of the Week.

Mounting Frustration
0-1 away loss to Newport signaled the return of an all-too familiar Izulde Jestor scenario, a team going to the dogs. 7 straight games with nary a win.

An Old Man Enters
31 year old DC Andy Duncan arrived to shore up the flagging defense. Extremely influential, the veteran projected to hold down the middle of the line and win a starting spot alongside Paul Martin.

Still Looking
Victory again eluded the Terras, but Weymouth couldn't feel too unhappy about drawing second place St. Alban's 1-1. Simon Radcliffe, making a strange moonlight at ML, got the equalizing header, and manager Izulde Jestor slapped his knee in irritation after Kevin Townson's two shots that were mere inches away from a winning goal missed. Down to 15th Weymouth slid, wondering oh wondering where that win was.

Striker, My Striker
29 year old Chris Moore became the latest attempt to find legitimate attackers, another free transfer that thrilled the fans, even as Ben Watson finally resumed training. But with all these purchases, Weymouth found themselves fairly over their intended wage budget.

Futility Finished
At long last, the sweetness of a victory. Although it was only by a single goal, 1-0, Gareth Fletcher's second-half strike sent Weymouth past Blue Square North side Gloucester, advancing in the FA Cup. In truth, league points were much preferred, but for the win-starved, begging was not an option.

[Izulde]

The Steadily Improving
DR James Allsopp, the heralded 18 year old transfer, made considerable strides his first two months with the team. After August, he was cited for his Tactics work and at the start of October, the coaches praised his Shooting work. Odd for a defender, but his mental attributes and tackling also showed improvement.

The Board's Remarks
Still satisfied with Izulde Jestor's work, Weymouth's also reported a $61,000 loss in September. DC Paul Martin is their favorite move, while the club's leadership still groused over an 0-1 loss to Havant & Waterlooville.

Back To Losing
An away game at Hampton & Richmond was the site of an 0-2 defeat as Weymouth's offense continued to sputter, unable to find any goals. No strikers seem to be stepping up as the solution

Joy in the FA Cup
A favorable draw against non-league side Chippenham translated to a 2-0 victory, thanks to Andy Harris's direct free kick goal in the first half, a second yellow to a Chippenham player, and Kevin Townson's streaking 25 yard moonshot in the second half after the opponents went a man down. Although the Terras were already favored to win, every victory helps the team's unsteady morale. The win cost Weymouth MR Jon Else for 2 weeks.

The Dover Battles: Part I
As fate would have it, Weymouth and Dover Athletic were set to play one another two games in a row. The first contest was a league match and the two sides fought through an ugly, foul-plagued fracas. Kevin Townson, to no one's surprise, was a goal scorer and it was enough to secure a 1-1 tie against heavily favored Dover.

Reversal And Award
For a brief period, MC Chris Allen was angry at manager Izulde Jestor's way of handling team talks and had poor morale. But recent conversations between the two, along with Allen's stellar play, have reversed the antagonism. In addition, Allen made the last BSS Team of the Week.

]u]The Dover Battles: Part II[/u]
The Whites were overwhemingly favored in this FA Cup battle, as they played host, but an early Chris Moore strike in the first minute gave Weymouth the shocking 1-0 lead and the Terras were able to stay strong for the tie and home replay despite no outstanding players.

The Dover Battles: Part III
First came the miracle - a mid first half Kevin Townson feed to Jon Else for finally Else's first ever goal. Then came the heartbreak - In the 91st minute, team captain Andy Harris missing an interception to allow the equalizer. Extra time came close to a win for Weymouth, but the Terras instead went down on penalty kicks, 5-3. A heartbreaking end to their FA Cup participation.



Weymouth is on a 10 game non-win streak in the Blue Square South

[Izulde]

At Long Last, A League Win
Heavy underdogs again the Terras were at St. Alban's, but they stuck to their defensive 5-3-2, used to great success against Dover, and following a fiery Izulde Jestor halftime speech, Josh Llewellyn stripped the ball from a Saints defender and scored, then followed that up with a late pass received from Ben Farrell for a second strike and the 2-0 win to finally snap the 10 game league victory drought. Although Weymouth only moved up to 14th, it was a critical 3 points. Llewellyn and Kenny Schofield both made the next Team of the Week.

Board Update
For the first time, the Weymouth board is pleased with Izulde Jestor, still lauding the Paul Martin signing, but coming away displeased with the Andy Duncan capture. A $49,000 and more loss kept the red flowing.

A Missed Opportunity
Traveling to 18th placed Basingstoke, the Terras had a real opportunity to continue building on their impressive away win at St. Alban's and squash Basingstoke firmly beneath them. Alas, despite Matthew Groves' first ever Weymouth goal, it ended in a 1-1 draw for a single point, although Basingstoke was favored, so Terra faithful were happy. Unfortunately, DC Paul Martin, the best signing of Izulde Jestor's reign, went down with a month long injury.

Further Doom
DC Scott Brice sprained his ankle so badly in practice, the team doctor said he was out for approximately two months, a devastating blow added on to Martin's injury in the Basingstoke game.

Unbelievable
A third straight injury in the middle of the defense and this time it was DC Andy Duncan taken out for a month, meaning in the span of three days, three of Weymouth's top central defenders got hurt for extended periods of time.

Fighting For Points
A home match against equally struggling, 19th placed Bath could engender no more than a 0-0 tie. Jon Else had the perfect opportunity to score but failed to do so, and not even Weymouth's switch from a standard 4-4-2 to a gambling, attacking 4-3-3 could break the stalemate. The Terras settled to 15th.

[u]Bombing at Bishop[/b]
Weymouth played one of their worst games of the year with all their defensive injuries, falling 0-2 to Bishop's Stortford thanks to ghastly finishing and terrible backline play.

A Beautiful Upset
Facing 12th placed Woking at half, the Terras seemed assured of another loss after the visitors scored early. But then Kevin Townson hit a monster that ricocheted off the goalkeeper for a 1-1 tie and Ben Watson fed Chris Allen for an inside the penalty box score, Allen's first league goal for Weymouth. Woking hit back to tie it up in the 85th minute, but then reserve Chris Moore, at the 89th minute, played a flawless ball forward for streaking reserve right fielder Ryn McKechnie, who confidently hit home for the major 3-2 stunner. Townson's goal ended a 10+ hour drought without scoring. MC Tom Richardson became the latest injury, out 3 to 4 weeks.

[BYU 14]

Hate seeing my Bishop's Stortford Blues just hovering above relegation

[Izulde]

A Narrow Advancement
Weymouth expected to destroy Slough Town in the FA Trophy even with the injuries and the raft of second stringers they sent out in a debut of a 3-4-3 attacking formation, and although Kevin Townson hit an easy, early goal, Slough equalized before the break. It was left to perennial trophy and cup hero Gareth Fletcher to once again come off the bench and deliver the game-winning header for the final 2-1 score.

Board Infusion
The board, pleased with how things are going, injected $65,000 into the team coffers to help offset some of the bleeding, which in large part came about through two loans already present when Izulde Jestor took the managership.

Team of the Week
Chris Allen and Ben Watson both made the Conference Team of the Week.

Asking About Allen
Staines came calling to ask about MC Chris Allen. Izulde Jestor flatly refused to even consider it.

That Cursed Flu
GK Kenny Schofield, the team's savior in net, caught the flu shortly before the Blue Square South matchup against the very Staines team who wanted Chris Allen. So it appeared that youth keeper Connor Curtis would be back in the lineup at least once after all.

An Odd Game
The Staines matchup featured Weymouth hammering at the goal all game long but unable to find the net. Meanwhile, the visitors took the lead early on a questionable penalty call, but in the 90th minute, the refs awarded a balancing penalty to the Terras, and Ben Watson finally scored for Weymouth on the ensuing kick, allowing Weymouth to settle for the 1-1 draw without their starting keeper.

Laughable
Staines made a bid for Chris Allen, offering no money and no incentives. Izulde Jestor told them to get bent.

A New Training Update
GK Curtis Connor and DR James Allsopp were singled out for impressive, but team captain Andy Harris appears to be on the downside and it is uncertain if he will be returning to Wessex Stadium.

The Confidence of the Board
As of December 1st, the board was still pleased with Izulde Jestor, the same pleasure with Paul Martin and displeasure with Andy Duncan the notable distinctions. The board's cash production meant only a $12,000 and change loss for the month of November.

Ecstatic in Eastleigh
On a cold, snow dashed field that necessitated the use of an impossible to see orange ball, Weymouth had arguably its finest hour of the season. Connor Curtis was in goal for another game, but that meant nothing when, midway through the first, Martin Slocombe launched a pretty thing for Kevin Townson strike in and then in the second half, Ben Watson dribbled all by himself through the defense and coolly sent it home for the massive 2-0 upset win. It was Paul Martin's first game back and Connor Curtis's most incredible game ever - rated an 8.4


[i]The standings after Weymouth's 20th league game

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

Hate seeing my Bishop's Stortford Blues just hovering above relegation

Well, they kicked our asses 2-0 which certainly helped them.

[Izulde]

Staines Tries Again
Once more Staines tried to offer for Chris Allen and even had the temerity to demand a deadline. They were once again laughed at and this time Izulde Jestor instructed his secretary to mail back all free transfer offers.

A Tight One
Weymouth, now back to more or less full health, visited 18th Braintree and came away the close 1-0 win on Andy Harris's superlative long-range strike. Although not a pretty performance overall, the 3 points were just what the Terras hoped for. Weymouth skyrocketed to 11th with the victory.

Weekly Team
Connor Curtis and Paul Martin made the Blue Square South Team of the Week.

Golden Chances Squandered
A filler lineup fielded against Blue Square Premier side Oxford United had a real chance to pull off the upset in the FA Trophy, but three successive shots and a denied penalty just couldn't get that needed goal. A beautiful move by OU culminating in a header made for the 0-1 difference, but considering Oxford were 1-7 favorites, it wasn't a half-bad showing. The board injected $50,000 into the team a few days later.

Braining Braintree
The Ironmen were welcomed to Wessex Stadium, but things with Braintree got ugly in a hurry after a defender spiked Kevin Townson from behind in the 13th minute and drew the red card. A spirited Townson made them pay with two sensational first half goals, and although Braintree got one back off a corner in the 75th minute, Ben Watson took a pass from Andy Harris, dribbled around the defense, and hit the 3-1 insurance goal. 3 points and Weymouth inched up to 10th place. Townson's scoring clinic earned him Player of the Week honors.

Promising Defensive Star Hurt
DR James Allsopp, one of Weymouth's key transfer signings this year, sustained a twisted knee in practice and will be sidelined for a full month.

Contract Extensions
ST Kevin Townson - To 2013
MR Jon Else - To 2013 - $10,500 p/yr
DC Paul Martin - To 2013 - $11,500 p/yr
Coach Ashley Palmer - To 2013
DL Martin Slocombe - To 2013 - $21,500 p/yr
MC Chris Allen - To 2013 - $21,500 p/yr

All contract signings were to full-time status.

The Dorchester Mirror
The Terraean band of newly signed full-timers traveled to relegation candidates and rivals Dorchester and Kevin Townson celebrated his new contract with a breezy 6th minute goal. Weymouth dominated the rest of the game but couldn't find that second score. Happily, the defense played well enough that Weymouth walked out 1-0 winners and on up to 7th place

[Izulde]

Unable To Break Maidenhead
A patchwork lineup and one solid goal by the opposition ended Weymouth's torrid run of form. Even more dispiriting than the loss itself was the tumble the Terras took to 11th place in one blow.

Glitzy January 1st
Izulde Jestor earned the Blue Square South Manager of the Month award for going 4-0-1 and taking the Weymouth Terras to the table's top half. Kevin Townson, meanwhile, finished second in Player of the Month voting.

Board Notes
$29,000 loss in December, but they're very pleased with their Manager of the Month's leadership, particularly the 1-0 victory over rival Dorchester. They're still slightly unhappy about Andy Duncan, however.

Fightback
Relegation rivals Dorchester came to Wessex and jumped out an 0-2 halftime lead. Izulde Jestor ripped into his team at the half and Jon Else, inspired by the tonguelashing, headed in a goal and set up a flawless pass to Ryan McKechnie to salvage the 2-2 draw. But the point came at the cost of Chris Allen who went down for a month after getting injured.

Injured Allen Extremely Valuable
A just released news report indicated that MC Chris Allen, the subject of numerous transfer rumors, is now valued at $70,000, or over four times the value of second place DR James Allsopp, listed at $16,000. Izulde Jestor issued a hands off warning and the board poured in $65,000.

Walloped in Welling
With the Wings desperately trying to avoid relegation, it's little wonder Weymouth lost on the road. But what wasn't supposed to happen was the Terras' 0-3 first half meltdown. Only Kevin Townson's second half goal restored a modicum of respectability.

Shepherd Loaned In
The Terras, seeking to bolster their team and try to make a run at the promotion playoffs, loaned in 21 year old Chris Shepherd from Exeter. The player projected to be a tremendous upgrade at ML than Weymouth's current options.

Knifed In The Back
So much for Bristol City as the parent club, Weymouth fans thought after DR Joe Edwards, who would have been a valuable fill-in for James Allsopp while the young star recovered, chose Crawley over the Terras. Nevermind that Crawley was a Blue Square Premier side fighting for promotion playoffs themselves.

Blown Out At Home
Chelmsford came to town and showed just how far Weymouth are from promotion playoff consideration, running them off the pitch 1-4,Ben Watson's late goal the only, sad consolation.

Woeful in Worcester
A third straight 0-2 or more halftime deficit was just that in the end as well, an 0-2 defeat in which virtually everyone was lackluster to terrible. It was about this time Izulde Jestor decided a better goalie was needed, or at least a change. ML Matt Groves was also lost for a month.

Martin Called Out
Although numerous players have been praised for their Weymouth form this season, cherished transfer Paul Martin earned the dubious distinction of being the first to be criticized. Martin felt the critique fair and well he might, given his 6.04 rating in the prior five contests.

Home Snapback
Equally struggling Lewes came to visit and Chris Allen, despite not being at full health after coming back from injury, was given the start to raise team morale. In response, Kevin Townson pounced on a rebound ball to score a first goal and then Ben Watson took an Andy Harris feed for a 2-0 lead at the break, reversing the prior three league contests. Watson then headed home a beautiful center from Townson in the second half to cap a much-needed 3-0 victory. As one might expect, Watson made the Blue Square South Team of the Week.

Board Commentary
The confidence level downgraded to pleased after the rough patch the Terras went through, but the main positive and negative remained the same. The loss for the month was $15,000.

What He Learned
Following the conclusion of Andy Harris's mentoring of James Allsopp, the young DR said he learned how to shoot from distance and furthermore noted that he'd gone from being level-headed with the media to being outspoken. He also cited Harris as a new favorite personnel alongside manager Izulde Jestor.

[Izulde]

Scrappy Win Over Staines
Although yet again underdogs, Weymouth secured a 1-0 road win over Staines thanks to Chris Shepherd's superb pass to Kevin Townson that led to the Terras' leading scorer adding to his tally. Shortly thereafter, Weymouth switched from their 5-3-2 to a 5-4-1 and Kenny Schofield and the defense hung on for 3 points. Schofield and Chris Allen were named to the next Team of the Week.

A Hurtful Victory
Although the Terras tripped up visiting Basingstoke 1-0 on Chris Moore's brilliant dribble down the left flank and center pass to Ben Watson who hit the game-winner, the win was a heartbreaking one as Kevin Townson went down shortly after the first half started. On the bright side, Weymouth moved up to 9th.

Team of the Week/Townson Update
DC Scott Brice, who consistently outperforms scouts' opinions of him, was named to the Team of the Week. Also, Kevin Townson was happily found to have no lasting effects from his injury vs Basingstoke.

Taking A Bath
The road to Bath was an unpleasant one as Weymouth lost 0-2 and just never found anything going on the offensive side of the game. It was the Terras' first league defeat in four games. Adding injury to insult, Chris Allen got hurt and ruled out for a week and a half.


Weymouth appears reasonably certain of a mid-table finish

[Izulde]

Drawing Out A Draw
An away match at Bromley had Weymouth tipped to be underdogs, and indeed the Terras' complete lack of offense seemed to forecast they would lose. But the defense held and Kenny Schofield played extremely well in goal to preserve a 0-0 final.

Board Update
A very pleased board applauded Weymouth's 3-0 win over Lewes, but the Chris Shepherd loan-in drew frowns. Another $42,000 and then some went down the drain in February.

Newport Too Much
First place Newport County demonstrated their superiority in a visit to Wessex Stadium, beating the Terras 0-1. The offense again sputtered and backup MR Ryan McKechnie was lost for a month with an injury.

Reid Released
Jake Reid, originally one of Weymouth's leading scorers early in the season, was released on a free transfer, as the management felt his $21,500 per year contract could be better spent elsewhere.

Grinding Out Well
Burdened with expectations of a win, nonetheless the Terras topped the Welling Wings 2-0 as Ben Watson hit a 25 yard scorcher into the upper corner of the net in the first half, and then, in the second, even after Chris Shephard was inexplicably red-carded, Weymouth scored a shorthanded goal on a penalty kick, Kevin Townson adding to his team high tally.

Transfer In
The money saved by releasing Jake Reid was partially spent to capture Welsh U-19 National MC James Owen, also capable of playing ML, where Weymouth fans expected him to play due to Chris Shephard's 1 match ban. Although not overpowering in terms of his physical attributes, Owen's solid all around technical and mental attributes made his 3 year, $8,250 per year contract extremely attractive and one might even say a steal.

Ref Bias Gives Chelmsford Win
The Terras left Chelmsford feeling quite aggrieved after a questionable handball penalty gave the hosts a 1-0 lead, then a goal by Ben Watson was disallowed due to an even more questionable offsides call, and then the clincher: suspicion of handball on the host team when they put in their second goal to win 2-0 in a downpour. It's a good thing assistant James Thorpe handles the press conferences or Weymouth manager Izulde Jestor might have told all the refs at that game to suck a cock and die.

Miraculous Owen Shines
Hosting relegation Thurrock looked to be an easy win, and it was a comfortable 2-0 victory thanks to recent signee James Owen, who overcame a poor showing in his debut to knock in a goal on a beautiful pass from Kevin Townson and then center a ball that Ben Watson headed home. It was one of the finest performances of the season by a Weymouth player.

Watson Out A Month
Ben Watson, one of the team's star strikers, was hurt in training and estimated out a month. The blow devastated Weymouth's supporters, who secretly hoped a miracle push for the playoffs might be in order for the 9th placed Terras.

Clinching: The Good and Bad
After Weymouth's win over Thurrock, it was announced that Newport County, still in first place, had clinched at least a playoff appearance, whereas Welling received the grim news they were officially cast out of league football for the next season.

Board Update
Still very pleased with Izulde Jestor, with the top praise coming for releasing Jake Reid, particularly since the club's finances remain under siege, preventing them from bringing back players such as Simon Brice even though they're $7,500 under the payroll budget. Andy Duncan's signing is the lowlight. $8,250 lost in March, but much of that was due to $65,000 poured in the board.

[Izulde]

A Draw Most Painful
Kevin Townson's magnificent top-corner diagonal strike for a 1-0 halftime lead went all for naught vs Weston-super-mare when a suspect own goal by Kenny Schofield allowed the draw. Worse still, forward Chris Moore and new signing James Owen joined the ranks of the injured alongside Ben Watson. Owen was ruled out for a month, Moore 2-3 weeks, further crushing Weymouth's striker depth. That same day, Newport County officially clinched the Blue Square South title. Townson's splendid strike earned him a place on the Team of the Week.

Short Rest Lineup Escapes With Draw
Nil-nil was the final for an away game between Havant & Waterlooville and Weymouth, with the Terras forced to play numerous second and third stringers due to injury and fatigue issues. Happily for Weymouth, the 5-4-1 defensive formation had just enough to it to keep H&W from scoring. Dorchester officially received its relegation papers today, while Weston-super-mare made the playoffs.

Martin Out 2 Months
DC Paul Martin's season officially ended with a broken leg that will keep him off a pitch for two months, the latest in a string of home stretch injuries for the Terras.

Downed in Dover
With a multitude of injuries and little left to play for, as opposed to their opponents, Weymouth went down 0-2 against Dover, sleepwalking through the final games of the season and dropping to 12th with the defeat.

A Superb Game
Weymouth hosted Hampton & Richmond and looked a completely different team than the one that played Dover. Josh Llewellyn faked out H&R's defense for his first goal in forever, Kevin Townson drilled one home after a great pass from Jon Else, and Andy Harris nailed a free kick that not even an EPL keeper could have stopped. The 3-0 rout was the most complete, most dominating performance by the Terras all year. Chris Allen won Man of the Match and Weymouth moved up to 10th.

A Lackluster Final Game
The Terras mailed in their final performance of the year, an 0-1 road defeat to Woking in which the offense in particular showed little interest in playing.

Board Update
Very pleased with Izulde Jestor's performance, still happy about the Jake Reid cutting and scowling about the Any Duncan signing. A profit of $19,000 and change occurred in April, due mostly to the board putting in $95,000.


Goalkeepers and defenders' overall stats

A new goalie needs to be found. Scott Brice overachieved relative to his talent and it may be that Andy Duncan is cut loose in order to find someone new to put beside Paul Martin. Martin Slocombe and James Allsopp are locks at their positions, although more depth would help.


Midfielders and strikers' overall stats

Finding another partner for Kevin Townson up front will be a top priority. An improvement over Jon Else at MR will be sought, and Chris Allen could use another running mate or another ML could be found to allow James Owen to play at his natural MC position. Depth at ML will be a priority in any case. Too many instances of running Slocombe at ML this season.


Final 2010 standings in BSS

Transfer In
GK Mark Scott is a netminder we've had our eye on for quite a while. James Thorpe thinks the world of this 19 year old's potential and he's already considered twice the goalkeeper that Kenny Schofield is. We snap up him from Swindon's reserves on a free transfer and he was willing to take $12,750 a year through 2013. Quite an exciting signing and an old Weymouth favorite approves it as well. He's apparently injury-prone, which is worrisome, but considering he's viewed as having leading Blue Square Premier potential and was willing to sign so cheaply, I knew there had to be some sort of drawback.

Weymouth Fans Player of the Year
DC Scott Brice, who played far above his actual talent.


Season's Best 11

I'm a bit surprised to see Gareth Fletcher on there over Jon Else and Ryan McKechnie, but Fletcher did have those awesome tournament play goals, so that's probably it.

Our reserves got invited to join a league for this season, by the way. We're expected to attain a safe mid-table position again, which is fine.

Youth Pull
DC/DM/MC Rob Beckles is getting a lot of rave reviews from James Thorpe and his physical attributes are freaking insane, so we'll try moving him to the reserves and see what happens.

We're at $10k under budget and that's without all the expiring contracts we have waiting for us.

Grays and Salisbury, the two demoted, are natural favorites. We're listed at 40-1, aka relegation candidate possibilities, and indeed we're picked to finish 15th.

Weston-super-mare steals Charles Reece from us, a MC/R that would have given us great flexibility in that area.

The board offers me a three year, $49,000 a year contract renewal. I push for $52,000 a year.

Transfer In
Wow! Somehow we get ML Graeme Montgomery from Dag & Red Reserves not only on a free transfer, but for a little over half his original asking price. This 22 year old's technical attributes are superlative for this level and that also means I can move James Owen to MC. Our midfield just got ridiculously stronger, even with Andy Harris's leaving the club.

Haverfordwest no match for Weymouth
The Terras got their exhibition season off to a good start with a 2-0 win at home. Goals were scored by Jon Else and hanger-on Luke Benbow as new-look Weymouth appeared sharp.

Transfer In
This is probably dangerous, but I somehow convinced the Weymouth board to pay out $35,000 over the next 6 months in exchange for slashing the wage budget and allowing us to pay Redditch huge money to sign Jerson dos Santos, a 19 year old Portuguese striker with one U-19 cap to his credit, who my assman already thinks is better than Kevin Townson and has the potential to be a lot better than Townson. Even better, I sign him through 2015 at $10,000 a year. In fact, he's with the U-19 squad right now, so I can't play him.

GH Academy Crushing
Lost 1-3 to GH Academy. Josh Llewellyn scores. I care not.

Transfer In
We're now over our wage budget, but ST Paul Clayton's physical attributes are all 12 but Strength (8) and the 25 year old has quality mental attributes as well. In fact, this $15,250 a year for two years 25 year old is considered our best striker, dos Santos our second best attacker, meaning Kevin Townson, last year's leading scorer, is now viewed as the #3 striker on the squad. That's a far cry from the early days of this dynasty, when Jake Reid and Josh Llewellyn were #1 and #2.

Sucky Santos
Jeren dos Santos came in as a reserve in U19 Portugal's 1-1 draw with Spain and was "largely disappointing". Oops.

1-3 defeat to Rushden, who is only one level above us. That's not good. Nor is Jergen dos Santos's 5.5 debut rating. Matt Groves scored the lone goal. I fear for our depth, as most of our second string guys aren't under official contract.

[Izulde]

Narrow Friendly Win
Weymouth just beat Retford 1-0 on the road, thanks to Kevin Townson's second half goal after a sensational pass from Gareth Fletcher, helping to ease the pain of a Jon Else goal called back in the first due to a shady offsides call. The Terras played the last few minutes without Andy Duncan, who drew a red card.

Bashed By Bristol City
As expected, the parent team steamrolled the feeder team 0-3. Nothing to see here but money for the gate receipts.

Another Defeat
Two goals surrendered on corner kicks spelled the difference in an 0-2 friendly finale vs Kettering.

Brice Signs
DC Scott Brice, Mr. Overachiever and last year's fan favorite, signed a one year contract for $5,000. He might well replace Andy Duncan, who looked awful in preseason.

Training Update
GK Connor Curtis and MR Jon Else impressed in Tactics and Shooting respectively. Else has steadily been working to try and prove he belongs in the starting lineup.

Captains Named
A pair of 19 year olds, GK Mark Scott and DR James Allsopp, were named team captain and vice-captain. Although Scott feels pressured by it, the rest of the team loves having the new goalie as the team captain. This probably means the end of Andy Duncan.

Transfer In
MDR/MC Jordan Hall is by no means a spectacular player, but the 26 year old signed for just $4,300, a cost-effective 3 position reserve that does much to shore up Weymouth's fans. Fans love the cheap buy.

Scott Out 2 Weeks
Remember the injury-prone designation? ...Yeah. Scott damages his heel in training and is out two weeks, meaning Connor Curtis is going to have to be in goal to start the league season.

Bad Start
Lewes skunked Weymouth 2-0, as the Terras continued their drought on offense. Although early in the season, another upper-mid table finish again looks like the topping out.

Hall Hurt
Nary a game for Jordan Hall yet, as he went down with a month long injury sustained in training.

Preece Brother Loaned In
17 year old Gloucester DLCR/MC Callum Preece, one of two Preece brothers in Gloucester's youth setup, will be loaned in for three months. Although not expected to be a starter, his versatility on the backline and his ability to play center mid will give him lots of opportunities to show his skills.

Getting Even
Another road game for the Terras, this time against recently promoted Merthyr. A scoreless first half led to Kevin Townson replacing Jergen dos Santos at the break, which in turn led to a 69th minute incredible 40 yard pass to Paul Clayton, who beat the keeper for his first goal off Townson's assist. Then, a minute later, Chris Allen lanced a pass in for Clayton, who gleefully knocked in his second score. But the fireworks weren't done yet. Kevin Townson took a feed from Graeme Montgomery and blasted a roller-coaster shot for the 3-0 lead. Only a late penalty goal prevented Connor Curtis from picking up a clean sheet. Clayton made the subsequent Team of the Week.

[Izulde]

Allen Brilliant In Home Opener
MC Chris Allen showed why he's been so heavily pursued by a multitude of clubs in Weymouth's home opener. The Terra star midfielder had magnificent free kick work, sending one up for Paul Clayton to put in, then scoring a goal himself on a DFK for the game's final 2-0 score.

Poor First Half Undoes Weymouth
2nd place Chelmsford visited Wessex Stadium and rode two first half goals that were enough for the 2-1 win, Paul Martin's goal on a second half corner the lone saving grace for a Terras side that just couldn't put it in the net despite chance after chance after chance.

Third Straight Game With Two First Half Goals
A common theme of two goals scored in the first half continued during Weymouth's road trip to Maidenhead. Happily for the Terras, it was Paul Clayton scoring both, one on a Chris Allen pass, the other on a terrific Kevin Townson long cross. Better still, Mark Scott stopped a penalty shot to keep Maidenhead from comeback dreams.

dos Santos Int'l Duty
Despite his inability to even crack the starting lineup, Jerson dos Santos got the call from Portugal's U-19s shortly before Chris Allen and Paul Clayton were named to the BSS Team of the Week. Clayton also finished second in BSS Player of the Month voting.

Board Satisfied
Paul Clayton's capture is much loved, Jerson dos Santos's, which crippled the club financially and contributed to the $32,480 loss, was naturally hissed at.

Else Out 7-8 Weeks
Devastating blow for the Terras as Jon Else went down. Even more so since Jordan Hall is still recovering from an injury of his own.

Allsopp's New Mentor
DR James Allsopp has gotten a second mentor in as many years and this time he's happily learning from Jordan Hall, who is expected to be the starting MR until further notice.

Scraping Staines To A Draw
The 1-0 early led for Weymouth capped by a curious Chris Allen lead-in for James Allsopp for the latter's first goal was undone by two second half Staines goals. More furiously, a Gareth Fletcher goal was unfairly nullified due to fake offsides, leaving it to Kevin Townson to score the late equalizer. Staines bitched, but the ref, rightly fearing for his life should he reverse it, declined to call offsides a second time.

[Izulde]

Letting One Slip Away
A 1-0 halftime lead on a Paul Clayton to Kevin Townson 40 yard just in the corner of the net turned to nothing as Weston-super-mare came back for the 2-1 victory. DC Scott Brice was lost for 2 to 3 weeks and the Terras rued a real chance to get into the playoffs conversation early in the year.

Right Side Ravaged
Although Paul Martin coolly shot in a rebound off a corner kick to give Weymouth another 1-0 halftime lead that this time held up on the road against the BSS's worst team, Maidstone, it was another grim day for the Terras. DR James Allsopp sustained an ankle injury that will shelve him for two months, adding to the growing list of severe injuries.

Cornered and Beaten
Weymouth's stay in the FA Cup was a short one this season, a 1-2 road loss to BSS side Salisbury. Once again the Terras had a 1-0 lead wiped out, Paul Clayton's just outside the penalty box strike after a long pass from Chris Allen wasted. More alarmingly, a growing trend of poor corner kick defense continued, with both surrendered goals coming off corners.

Revenge - Oh So Sweet
Salisbury's road defeat of the Terras rankled on Weymouth and as fate would have it, the very next game pitted the two sides against each other, again on Salisbury's home turf. Weymouth came away 1-0 winners thanks to Kevin Townson's penalty kick goal and some superb work by Mark Scott in goal. More significantly, Weymouth moved up to 5th with the win and in a playoff sport early in the year.

Scott's Injury Woes Continue
GK Mark Scott broke his ankle and is out 7 to 8 months. Weymouth manager Izulde Jestor throws things in anger and Kenny Schofield is signed to an emergency one year contract. More significantly, both the Terras' team captains are now out on long term injuries.

Board Satisfied
The most pleasing thing to come out of the latest board report is a $54,000 and change profit, although much of it was a $95,000 cash injection. The positive is still Paul Clayton, Jerson dos Santos still the negative.

Total Team Effort
Just when everyone wondered if the Terras would score more than a goal the rest of the season, Weymouth knocked in two goals against Grays. The 2-0 win's scores came via Kevin Townson's walk-in after the opposing goalie dropped a Graeme Montgomery header, and then, in the second half, Matt Groves hit a flawless shot on the left side of the penalty box. Almost the entire team rated 7.0 or better in their best game of the young year and that was with an odd 3-5-2 formation. Unfortunately, Weymouth picked up yet another key injury, with star midfielder Chris Allen twisting his ankle and due out for a month and a half.

Groves Unexpectedly Released
Matt Groves, who just scored a goal in Weymouth's win over Grays, unexpectedly found himself released on a free transfer, as the Terras felt his $19,000 per year salary was too much, and even though he was willing to take a drastic pay cut, Izulde Jestor felt the young ML wasn't up to the standards of the Blue Square Premier, should Weymouth get that far.

Paul Clayton Out A Week And A Half
Yet another injury, though this one is fortunately minor.

Beaned In Braintree
No surprise to see Weymouth lose this one. They looked terrible in all facets of this away game and lost 0-2, no doubt missing Paul Clayton. The defeat also knocked them down to 6th.

Transfer-In
MC Nick McKoy comes in from archrivals Dorchester to help shore up Weymouth's MC situation. Ben Reiffer and Tom Richardson, the Terras' two emergency reserves, both were injured recently, making the $12,750 for the rest of the season 24 year old a key capture. Dorchester fans were absolutely livid McKoy was allowed to go to an archrival, which hopefully bodes well for the Terras.

Ever Point Or Three Helps
Despite the rash of injuries, Weymouth came away with a key 1-0 home win over Basingstoke, the lone goal coming about when Paul Clayton hit a rebound shot after Graeme Montgomery's cross was intercepted.


It's a crowded playoff table early in the year, but can Weymouth keep it going with their litany of injuries? Paul Clayton fortunately only missed one game and Jon Else came back recently, and James Allsopp should be due back in two games' time, but can the Terras really win with Kenny Schofield in the net? And without Chris Allen?

[Izulde]

Tough Road Loss
Bromley, a team just behind Weymouth in the standings, beat the Terras 1-0 as they proved inhospitable. The loss knocked Weymouth down to 7th and the continued struggles on offense point to a very real possibility that the Terras might end up again a mid-table team as first predicted.

Board Confidence Up To Pleased
The board is again pleased with Izulde Jestor's handling of the team with the same positive and negative as before. $23,000 and then some in the red last month.

Power of the Reserves
Visiting St. Alban's struck first, much to the misery of the Weymouth faithful, but then,later in the second half, Gareth Fletcher copped a great pas from Paul Clayton, dribbled forward, and cooled placed it home to tie it up. And then, at long last, in the 81st minute, Jerson dos Santos finally cut through the defense and delivered his first ever Weymouth goal, a diagonal thing of beauty that proved the gamewinner.

Preece Loan Extended To End of Season
Given that he's posted a 7.00 average rating for the Terras and his versatility has been key to Weymouth's fight to stay in the playoff hunt despite a rash of injuries, it's little wonder Callum Preece's loan was extended to the end of the season.

Return of Allen and Allsopp Inspires Terras
For the second game in a row, the opponents took the lead, with Bishop's Stortford ahead 1-0 at the break. But the return of James Allsopp at the half fired Weymouth up and the Terras struck back in the second half. First came Paul Clayton's pass to Jon Else for the go ahead goal, and next, in a bit of poetic justice, Allsopp calmly passed the rebound off a corner kick down to Kevin Townson, who took two steps and nailed it from the penalty box line for the 2-1 final. With the win, Weymouth moved up to 4th place in the standings with 28 points, 3 ahead of Eastleigh and Bromley at 6th and 7th respectively.

[Izulde]

A Crushing Defeat
The goals didn't matter in the Terras' 2-4 loss in the FA Trophy to league leaders Weston-super-mare, Weymouth's second straight bad cup draw. No one paid much attention to Graeme Montgomery's first ever goal or Jon Else's score to tie the game at 2 all. No, what everyone talked about what Jerson dos Santos out for 3-4 weeks and Paul Clayton picking up another injury that would keep him out of the next league game at minimum.

Drawing Dover
A dull home draw vs Dover is precisely what was expected after all the striker injuries and that's what happened: A 0-0 snoozefest that nonetheless gave the Terras an important point.

Inspiring Manager Spurs Opponents
Eastleigh credited their manager with a rousing halftime speech that took them from a 1-2 deficit to a 3-2 win over Weymouth, wiping out goals by Jordan Hall and Josh Llewellyn. The loss knocked the Terras from 4th all the way to 7th.

Bounceback
For the first time since Izulde Jestor took over, Weymouth beat H&W. The 2-0 triumph came as Nick McKoy passed to Jon Else who struck a 20 yard effort in and in the second half, Graeme Montgomery launched an absolute stunner that somehow found the upper right corner of the net. The Terras' backline played superbly all game long, but alas it wasn't enough to move up the table. McKoy was also knocked out of action for a month with a second half injury. Montgomery and Martin Slocombe were named to the BSS Team of the Week.

Slocombe Out
The never-ending litany of Weymouth injuries continued with star DL Martin Slocombe hurt in training and ruled out for two months.

Llewellyn Released On Free
Seeking to again bring the wage budget under control and hunt for a better play, Weymouth released Josh Llewellwyn on a free. Although an overacheiver relative to his talent, the Terras constantly seek to improve.

Taking Bath
Home comforted Weymouth and so did the splendid Paul Clayton to Kevin Townson pass and goal, followed by Clayton's own goal, on, of all things, a beaut of a pass from Jorsen dos Santos, in the first half to give the Terras a comfortable 2-0 halftime lead. Although Weymouth surrended a late goal at the 79th minute to give Bath hope, the Terras held firm for the 3 points and climb into 5th.

Transfer In
The Terras made a huge splash, signing MC/AMC/ST Oliver Hewitt-Fisher on a free transfer. The 21 year old Welshman commands a princely sum of $35,500 a year through 2015, but Izulde Jestor's staff considers him already the equal of Chris Allen and a leading star for a Blue Square South side. Fans were rapturous with the signing of the Brentford reserve as Weymouth has gone gamely all in.

Allsopp Signs Extension
DR James Allsopp signed an extension through 2014 that will pay him $7,750 a year, a relative bargain for one of Izulde Jestor's best and earliest transfers.

Townson's Hat Trick The Odd Way
Weymouth at Wealdstone, one of the worst teams in the league and, ironically enough, the employers of last year's Terras team captain Andy Harris. An insane game played out with Kevin Townson getting a hat trick, all on PKs!. Paul Clayton tacked on a fourth goal after a beautiful pass from Chris Allen and the Terras ran out 4-0 winners. Townson and Clayton netted the highest ever ratings for Weymouth in Izulde Jestor's tenure - 9.3 and 9.1 respectively.

Four Weymouth Players In Team Of Week
DL Callum Preece
DC Scott Brice
MC Chris Allen
ST Kevin Townson

Media Goes Gonzo Over Paul Clayton
No less than five media stories in the past week about how sensational Paul Clayton has been for Weymouth this season. The 26 year old's physical and mental prowess perhaps explain why he's been so fabulous despite not being the most technically gifted individual, save for his finishing.

A Flourish of Goals
All you need to know about Weymouth's home game against relegation candidates Cambridge City is this: The Terras led 3-0 after 10 minutes. Paul Clayton scored a first half hat trick on two shots and a penalty kick, Jorgen dos Santos added the fourth home goal, and Kevin Townson hit a second half penalty kick for the 5-0 lead which held until the last five minutes of the game when Mark Scott carelessly dropped a ball, allowing a rebound goal and then allowing an own goal to make it 5-2 in the end in his first game back in the net after a three month layoff for injury.


It's only halfway through the season, but fans have to be pleased with Weymouth's first half form

[Izulde]

A New Mentor Relationship
DC Rob Beckles, who Jeff Thorpe, Weymouth's assistant manager, considers a promising player, is now in a tutoring relationship with Paul Martin. The move continues what is fast becoming a Terras tradition of backline mentorship, following James Allsopp's learning from Andy Harris and now Jordan Hall.

A Pair of Seconds
Izulde Jestor and Paul Clayton both came in second in Blue Square South Manager and Player of the Month voting respectively for December, although Terras fans expressed surprised neither one won.

Board Update
Very pleased, and thrilled over the team's BSS standing, but disappointed in the FA Trophy defeat. $65,000 and change profit, but much of that came from another $95,000 drop in by devoted members.

Another Win
Merthyr isn't the walkover that Weymouth's prior opponents were and indeed, the visitors struck a kickoff goal for the early lead. Never to fear, though, as Oliver Hewlett-Fisher made a beautiful pass for Graeme Montgomery to latch on bring home and it was Montgomery in the second half again, receiving a beautiful cross from Jon Else to head it in for the 2-1 final. This despite injuries on the backline wings, with both Callum Preece and James Allsopp picking up knocks. Weymouth shot up to 2nd with the win, only a point out of first place, the highest the Terras have ever been this late in the season under Izulde Jestor's watch. Not even the news of James Allsopp out a month could totally dampen spirits at the club. James Owen made the Team of the Week.

Flat Out Failure
Forced to play two games in three days, it's little wonder Weymouth looked absolutely drained and flat in an 0-3 home loss to Lewes. The lineup was both skeletal and exhausted and Izulde Jestor refused to tear into the tired team. The loss dropped the Terras to 5th, 4 points out of first place and in a real dogfight for playoff prospects. Nick McKoy was injured, too, leading to two months out of action.

Clayton Sparkles Again
Many were the Weymouth watchers wondering if the Terras could bounce back from their lackluster performance against Lewes. Lo and behold, a tough match against Chelmsford on the road. 16th minute saw James Owen pitch a beautiful pass to Paul Clayton who drilled it in for an early 1-0 lead. The hosts tied it right back up with a poor Jon Else move that was ruled an own goal after it bounced off Mark Scott. Clayton got it right back just before the half when he pounced on a crowded rebound from a Paul Martin miss on a corner and the Terras hung on for the critical 2-1 victory, even after Martin had to leave the game with an injury. The win pulled Weymouth back up to 4th, 3 points out of first, although they would now have to deal with the loss of Martin for a month. DC Scott Brice was named to the Team of the Week and yet more stories came out in praise of Clayton's brilliance.

Bristol City Traitor
The Terras attempted to loan in Bristol City's Ashley Kington, but the bastard blitzed for Bath, once again leaving Weymouth without a loaner from their feeder.

More Bad News
Piss-poor finishing and an inability to defend free kicks handed Weymouth an 0-2 away loss to Hampton & Richmond. Worse still, Callum Preece, the only other DL worth talking about, got knocked out early with an injury for 2 or 3 months. The assistant manager recommend terminating the loan early. Izulde Jestor told his assman to go to hell.

Loan-In
Gloucester has been a popular place for Weymouth to get loans and they added DC Mark Furlong to the 3 month list. Strictly a depth move at this point.

Narrow Escape
At first the home match against Maidenhead looked easy breezy. Chris Allen scored on a 20 yard free kick and Jordan Hall to Jorsen dos Santos to Paul Clayton for a second goal in Martin Slocombe's first game back. Clayton even added #3 on the tally sheet with a peerless pass from Oliver Hewitt-Fisher. But as it turned out, the Terras needed every one of those goals, as Maidenhead added two in the second half and it was a tense ten minutes before Weymouth could breathe a sigh of relief at the 3-2 victory.

Loaning In An Old Friend
DC/MC Jordan Rose, originally part of Weymouth's setup last season, comes back to the Terras for 3 months to continue shoring up the depth. Sadly, Weymouth still searched for wing players who'd be willing to come and play, where the real issue lay.

Horrible Finishing Costs Points
A complete inability to finish and a fucking awful penalty award gave obnoxious hosts Staines a 1-0 win.

Loan-In
Finally, a Bristol City player agrees to come to Weymouth. ML Julian Okai is a 17 year old promising wunderkid, worth $230,000. He's competent on the right side of the midfield, where he'll be expected to play.

Transfer In
22 year old DR Kenny Davis is already considered a lot better than James Allsopp. Right now he's just on a cheap deal for the end of the season, but he'll get the starts and be the one to trust going forward, frightening though it may be.

Drawing
Although heavy underdogs at home, Weymouth nonetheless managed to eke out a 1-1 draw. Kenny Davis gifted Salisbury a goal with a stupid play and right after he took a knock and was replaced by Jon Else, Martin Slocombe long balled a throw in up to Julian Okai, who headed it in for a debut goal.

Terras Told Off
They played terrible in an 0-3 road loss to Weston-super-mare who they've never beaten. Ever.

Ugly Game
Maidstone coming to town should equate to an automatic win, but Weymouth, still demoralized after the trashing from WSM and manager alike, couldn't find the net all night long in the rain. Until, that is, Jerson dos Santos, who came off the bench for an ineffective Kevin Townson, kicked in a Martin Slocombe longball for a goal in the 84th minute. From then on, it was the Terras' manager screaming at the ref to call time, but 10 minutes went by before Weymouth escaped with the much needed 3 points. Even if it did cost them Oliver Hewitt-Fisher for a month.


Terras fans are praying they don't have to face Weston-super-mare in the playoffs if it gets to that point

[Izulde]

An Important Away Win
Much like the Maidenhead game, Weymouth found itself needing all three of its goals to snatch up three points. The first goal came when Paul Clayton shot it perfectly in after a launch from James Allsopp, even in the face of pressure from media and the like. The second goal before the half was an Allsopp to Jorsen dos Santos to Kevin Townson streamlined move, giving the Terras the go ahead goal after a Scott Brice own goal. Finally came Jerson dos Santos's goal after a rainbow from Graeme Montgomery, allowing Weymouth to withstand a 91st minute surrendered goal from heavily favored Grays, who were 7th before the match and knocking on the door to playoffs. Montgomery was eliminated from action for 2 weeks with an injury.

Martin Out A Month
Another injury for DC Paul Martin, this time taking him out of action for a month.

Doing Just Enough
Weymouth played host to Braintree and in a hardscrabble, tough matchup, the Terras did just enough to get the three points, playing spectacular defense and hanging their hats on Jerson dos Santos's textbook pass to Paul Clayton for the game's lone score. Although the team stayed in 4th place, they also kept within striking distance of Eastleigh in 3rd, 2 points behind and gave themselves a vital 7 point cushion over 6th place Braintree, making the victory even more crucial.

[Izulde]

Manager Third in Voting
For the second straight month, Weymouth head Izulde Jestor placed in voting, but third rather than second. Board is very pleased, $14,400 loss last month, fantastic BSS position the highlight, Chris Allen's surprising struggles the lowlight.

Early Goal Means Little
Bromley, one of the playoff hopefuls, came to Wessex Stadium hoping to move up the table with a win against Weymouth. They hit a 25 yard goal early, but Oliver Hewitt-Fisher countered with a long range shot of his own late in the first half and followed it up with an exchange of passes with James Owen in the second half, leading to Owens' game-winning goal. The victory bumped the Terras up to 3rd with a game in hand after a match against Basingstoke was postponed due to poor pitch condition.

Poor Performance By Scott Douses Win Streak
GK Mark Scott had his worst game ever as a Terra today, posting a dreadful 5.9 rating by scouts' measures, resulting in a 1-2 road defeat to St. Alban's, the Saints pulling a come from behind effort after Nick McKoy's beautiful challenge to get a ball back led to a pass to Jorsen dos Santos and on to Paul Clayton for the finish and early 1-0 Weymouth lead. The Terras were still in 3rd after the match with 63 points and a game in hand, but Weston-super-mare's 76 points and Chelmsford's 69 points indicated the two teams looked safe to hold their positions after 35 games. Right behind Weymouth in the table were Braintree and Eastleigh at 62 a piece, with 6th place Bath's 59 points and 7th place Bishop's Stortford's 58 points within striking distance of the playoffs.

Cambridge City, with just 12 points after 35 matches, was already relegated.

[Izulde]

A Spate of Goals
Questionable offsides goals allowed by the hometown ref gave Basingstoke an unfair 3-3 draw vs Weymouth, who got three legitimate goals - a first half Paul Clayton to Oliver Hewitt-Fisher pass for H-F's goal and two second half beautiful, long strikes by Jerson dos Santos, overcoming the two suspect goals by Basingstoke.

Lackluster Home Outing
The offense was completely non-existent after the fireworks against Basingstoke, resulting in an 0-2 home loss to Bishop's Stortford, the latter making a monster late season charge up the table. It was the Blues' 11th straight game without a loss and put them in range of the now 4th place Terras.

Allsopp, McKechnie, Allen All Hurt
Allen Out 2-3 Weeks
Allsopp Out 3-4 Weeks
McKechnie Out 5-6 Weeks
Bad ladder and worse timing in the thick of a playoffs race.

Backline Brilliance Defeats Dover
The Terras' defenders and goalie played fantastically in delivering a crucial 1-0 road win over Dover. Weymouth's lone goal for the 3 points came from Jerson dos Santos's pass to Kevin Townson, the latter dribbling a bit before shooting and finally ending a 380 minute goal drought. The win moved Weymouth back up to 4th and offered a 5 point cushion against still 6th Bishop's Stortford. On that same day, Wealdstone became the second team to clinch relegation.

[Izulde]

Devastating Road Loss
A 2-3 road loss to 5th place Eastleigh was harmful, both of Kevin Townson's goals wasted by crackerjack finishing by the hosts and terrible games by Paul Clayton, Graeme Montgomery, and Julian Okai. Montgomery also went out with a month-long injury, which didn't help matters. Although the Terras managed to stay in 4th, their margin for error grew much slimmer.

Angry Weymouth Strikes Back
Furious over their defeat to Eastleigh, the Terras took it out on Havant & Waterlooville, whipping their visitors 4-0. Kevin Townson recorded his second hat trick, the first on some dribble magic of his own making, the second from a header by Oliver Hewitt-Fisher, the third, and arguably the most beautiful, on a pass from Jerson dos Santos after the rising young Portuguese player faked the midfield out of its shorts. Paul Clayton was the lone non-Townson goal, scoring Weymouth's second tally on a header off a long cross from James Owen. Everyone on the Weymouth squad played fantastically and Eastleigh lost.


The table with three games left

Five Players Named To Blue Square South Team Of The Week
DC Paul Martin
DC Scott Brice
DL Callum Preece
MC Oliver Hewitt-Fisher
ST Kevin Townson

Bashed By Bath
A deluge of a bad performance, an 0-3 loss that put Weymouth in danger of not making the playoffs as Eastleigh, Bishop's Stortford, and Salisbury all won, meaning the 5th, 6th, and 7th place teams had 69 points to the Terras' 70.

Barely Escaping
Already relegated Cambridge City had nothing left but pride to fight for, and even with Chris Allen's free kick goal and corner kick to Scott Brice, who headed it in for his first ever Weymouth goal, the Terras still found themselves tied for most of the second half, causing manager Izulde Jestor to purple as he screamed at his strikers. Finally, a pair of reserves stepped in literally 10 seconds before the final whistle blew. Jon Else found Jerson dos Santos in the penalty box and the 19 year old just barely struck it diagonally into the lower corner of the net, allowing Weymouth to dash out with the massively needed 3 points. It was Cambridge City's 34th straight game without a win.

Bishop's Stortford - W 1-0 @ Hampton & Richmond
Eastleigh - L 0-3 @ Bath
Salisbury - W 2-0 vs Grays

With that loss, Eastleigh was officially eliminated from the playoffs. Weston-super-mare, Chelmsford, and Braintree all clinched playoffs already, with W-S-M and Chelmsford tied for the league lead, one of them guaranteed to win the automatic promotion.

Weymouth - 73 points - +12 G.D.
Bishop's Stortford - 72 points - +29 G.D.
Salisbury - 72 points - +10 G.D.

One of the teams wasn't going to get that second chance. Two were. If Weymouth won their final game, they clinched a spot. If they tied, then they needed Stortford to lose or tie, or Salisbury to lose or tie.

Hewitt-Fisher To Miss Rest Of Season
Oliver Hewitt-Fisher, Weymouth's by far priciest player, sustained a knee injury that would keep him out of the playoffs, greatly damaging the Terras' promotion hopes.

Terras Annihilate Wealdstone
Andy Harris and the Wealdstone gang came to town and the Terras buried them 3-0 behind first half goals by Jordan Hall, James Owen, and Paul Clayton, Owen also picking up an assist on the Clayton score. Weymouth left no doubt of their playoff appearance with that emphatic victory.

Salisbury became the fourth and final playoff team, mauling Maidstone 5-0 on the road, while Bishop's Stortford managed only a 1-1 home draw with Merthyr.

Then came the bad news. Eastleigh upset Weston-super-mare and Chelmsford won, making the team most dangerous to Weymouth's playoff hopes a potential opponent.

Braintree the semi-final draw
3-1 record against Braintree in the two seasons in the Blue Square South, which may well give home for the Terras' advancement to the finals and beyond, but nothing is a given in the world of soccer/football.

Bombed By Braintree
A pathetic, pathetic fucking game at home 0-2 loss good fucking bye to promotion. Sure enough, 0-1 loss on the road. Paul Clayton was horrible in both games and has been immediately transfer listed.



Mark Scott was terribly inconsistent and somehow Scott Brice, despite being the least talent defensive back on the roster, keeps being the best on the field. James Allsopp took a step back performancewise, but he's worth $30,000, so perhaps worthy of a transfer listing.



James Owen is actually the most valuable player at the club, worth $50,000. Jerson dos Santos is #2 at $40,000 and really started coming into his own towards the end of the season.


Lovely. Another year with Weston-super-mare

[Izulde]

Despite their 4th place finish last year, Weymouth is given 33-1 odds to promote and is considered a mid-table team at best. Instead it's 3-1 Dartford, 5-1 Sutton United, 6-1 Farnborough and Truro, and 14-1 Eastleigh who are favored. Curiously enough, all three of last season's Blue Square Premier relegations ended up in the Blue Square North.

Leaving the Club
DC Scott Brice
MC Nick McKoy
DC Andy Duncan

Resigning
DR Kenny Davis - 2013
GK Kenny Schofield - 2012

Hall Leaves Club
Valuable backup midfielder Jordan Hall got a contract offer from Blue Square Premier side AFC Wimbledon and took it, as Weymouth finances didn't get sorted in time.

Slocombe Wants Bigger Club
DL Martin Slocombe wants to move up in the soccer world and there's reason to believe Weymouth won't be able to afford him when his contract expires.

Transfer In
Free agent 28 year old DRC Chris Blackburn, last seen with League 2 side Aldershot, signed to be Scott Brice's replacement in the starting lineup. Blackburn is already the best defender on the Terras.

Mentorship
MC Chris Allen is now tutoring promising young DC/DM/MC Rob Beckles. Both players are said to be thrilled with the relationship and Weymouth hopes for much to come of it.

Transfer In
DLRC MC Callum Preece, the 18 year old who performed extremely well for Weymouth last year on loan, officially signed with the Terras on a free transfer, despite the assistant manager and coaching staff objecting to the signing. Preece was thrilled to join what is his new favorite club and to play for his idol, manager Izulde Jestor. He'll serve as a backup at all four positions.

Friendly - Weymouth 2 Truro 1
Good start to the preseason, with Oliver Hewitt-Fisher scoring both goals at his newly permanent AMC position.

Friendly - Canvey Island 0 Weymouth 3
An easy win for the Terras, aided by penalty kicks from Kevin Townson and Jerson dos Santos, Paul Clayton adding a third goal.

Friendly - Weymouth 3 Connah's Quay 2
Despite a sloppy second half and a terrible game by Chris Blackburn, the Terras came out 3-2 winners thanks to two goals by Paul Clayton and a free kick goal by Paul Martin.

Transfer In
MC/AMC Alex Francis, 21, last seen with Bromley, signed a one year deal to be a backup. He'll serve as Oliver Fisher-Hewitt's top reserve and his good technical attributes already will serve him in good stead.

Friendly - Thamesmead 1 Weymouth 2
Although quite close, Alex Francis's 25 yard strike on his exhibition debut and Gareth Fletcher's goal on a corner were sufficient to keep the Terras unbeaten in preseason.

Transfer In
19 year old Nigerian ST Nabil Sharif, a U-19 Nigerian national team member, signed a full-time contract through 2016, a prospect who greatly excites both the clubs and the fans with his potential. Between him and Jerson dos Santos, Weymouth looks set for the future in terms of high potential young strikers.

[Izulde]

Friendly - Weymouth 4 GH Academy 0
The Terras totally trashed the well-respected academy on two goals by Oliver Hewitt-Fisher, a goal by Paul Clayton, and, in the biggest buzz, a Nabil Sharif goal to open the scoring off a Clayton pass.

Friendly - Weymouth 1 West Ham Reserves 4
The score was actually 1-1 for a while after Paul Clayton played a beautiful lead for Kevin Townson to score on, but was 1-2 at the half and West Ham's second unit poured on the fuel in the second half.

Friendly - Bromsgrove 0 Weymouth 2
Goals from preseason superstar Oliver Hewitt-Fisher and, in a first ever of any kind of Weymouth goal for him, Scott Dixon, made the Terras almost perfect in exhibition season, raising the stakes within the organization even given the initial oddsmakers doubts.

Weymouth Emphatic In Opening Game
Grays scored first after getting three chances on rebounds to hit it, but the Terras struck right back, Paul Clayton grabbing the ball after a scrum and kicking it in. Before halftime sounded, Clayton had a second tally racked up from a beautiful Oliver Hewitt-Fisher pass. Still in need of an insurance goal, Weymouth got just what they needed when Nabil Sharif outran the Grays defenders after latching on a Clayton pass and coolly struck it home for a debut goal and the 3-1 away victory!

Inability To Finish Equals Draw
Weymouth's home opener against St. Alban's had the Terras favored, but despite a pass from Jerson dos Santos to Graeme Montgomery for a first half goal, and despite numerous opportunities in the second half, including a sitter dos Santos should have nailed, it ended in a 1-1 draw. Paul Clayton followed up his great game against Grays with a dreadful one vs St. Alban's.

Preseason Matchup Taught Truro Nothing
On the road the Terras trekked to face off against preseason opponent Truro, but unfortunately for the home team's fans, it was just like exhibition all over again. It didn't start that way, with Weymouth holding only a slender 1-0 halftime lead on Oliver Hewitt-Fisher's brilliant dribble and shoot after receiving a pass, but it was 3-0 by the end, as Chris Allen passed to Jon Else for goal #2 and then hit Callum Preece on a corner kick for Preece's first ever goal in a Terras uniform. Allen netted all 3 assists in the game, while Paul Martin had his turn to be disappointing.

[Izulde]

Weymouth Windblast Basingstoke
The Terras have looked sharp most of the early season and never more than the home game against Basingstoke where they routed their visitors 6-1, leading 3-0 before a 46th minute allowed goal, then piling on three more goals in the second half. Oliver Hewitt-Fisher continued to show just how much he deserves his paycheck with 2 goals and an assist, both his scores after the own goal that set the match wrong from the start for Stoke. Other goal scorers were Graeme Montgomery, Jon Else, and Nabil Sharif, his second goal in as many league appearances for Weymouth, both on substitutions. Almost everyone on the Terras graded out well above 7. The 5 goal win put Weymouth in first for the first time ever in Izulde Jestor's tenure

Six Weymouth Players Named In Team Of Week
GK Mark Scott
DL Martin Slocombe
ML Graeme Montgomery
MC Chris Allen
MR Jon Else
ST Oliver Hewitt-Fisher

BS Home Ref Call Causes Weymouth's First Loss
A Paul Clayton goal just before the half that would have evened the score at 1-1 was called off due to alleged offsides, although not even the announces, Bishop's Stortford fans, thought the goal was illegal. That shook Clayton's confidence the rest of the game and the Terras went down 0-2, thanks to that home cooking. Then again, a good number of the Terras stunk, including Martin Slocombe, who will miss a week and a half due to injury.

Transfer In
21 year old DL Rene Steer can play all three of the backline positions and DMC, and is already considered close to Martin Slocombe in ability. With Slocombe looking to move to a bigger club, Steer provides insurance in case that move happens this season, or injury cover. Also, Graeme Montgomery finished third in Blue Square Player of the Month voting. The board is satisfied, loving the recent 6-1 victory. $21k lost last month.

Dull Defense
Neither side could find many opportunities when Eastleigh came to Wessex Stadium, resulting in a 0-0 draw. The point dropped Weymouth to 5th with 11 points, 5 behind surprising Maidenhead in the early lead.

[Izulde]

Away At W-S-M Is Eh
Weston-super-mare has long been the bane of Weymouth and after they took a 1-0 lead on the Terras, doom again seemed assured. But Kevin Townson intercepted a pass in the second half for the equalizing goal and neither team could find a second goal.

Terras Snap Non-Winning Streak
It was a barely eked out victory, but Weymouth will take their 2-1 win over Havant & Waterlooville. Oliver Hewitt-Fisher sliced through the defense on a shot for the equalizer goal after H&W took the early lead, and Paul Clayton played it perfectly to Kevin Townson for the deciding score, Townson's 75th league goal of his career.

Two Disallowed Goals In FA Trophy
Bramley, a team Weymouth should have steamrolled, got the benefit of heavily bribed refs calling TWO Terras goals offsides, so it ended in a 0-0 draw and forced a replay away. Weymouth manager Izulde Jestor was ready to execute the officials personally after that bullshit. Poor play by Jerson dos Santos, Nabil Sharif, and Alex Francis did not help matters.

Settling the Score
Four days later, a determined and grim Weymouth side went to Bramley and finished the job, the 2-0 FA Cup Second Round qualifying win engineered by Alex Francis's finding Jerson dos Santos in the first half and Kevin Townson's physical besting of a scrum for a rebound goal in the second half. Paul Clayton continued to look both awful and goalless.

Board Update
-Satisfied
-Praise Callum Preece's signing
-Concern over Paul Clayton
-Lost $6,000

Balatant Offside Goal Gives Lewes Win
Fuck the refs.


First quarter Blue Square South league table

[Izulde]

Another Ref Screwjob Leads To FA Cup Loss
Incorrectly given penalty kick and even more poorly awarded offsides goal gave home team Salisbury City the 3-0 win over Weymouth in the FA Cup's third qualifying round. Although Salisbury's third goal was legitimate, the Terras were forced into an unnatural 4-2-4 as a result of the biased reffing on the previous scores. Izulde Jestor screamed at the referees after the game and declared there was a league-wide conspiracy against Weymouth. Callum Preece and Rob Beckles played poorly in the bargain.

dos Santos Secures draw
Just when disaster appeared to strike for Weymouth hosting Bath, Jerson dos Santos rescued the Terras with his second goal on an 89th minute equalizer to make it 3-3. Oliver Hewitt-Fisher assisted on that third goal, while Kevin Townson had Weymouth's second goal late in the first half to temporarily give the Terras a 2-1 lead. Paul Clayton had another terrible game and is now rumored on his way out.

Clayton To Join Rushden & Diamonds On January 1st
Blue Square Premier side Rushen & Diamonds purchased Paul Clayton for $2,000, well below Clayton's $7,000 value. But with Weymouth needing to clear salary and Clayton performing horribly this season, the transfer needed to happen. It marks the first transfer out of Izulde Jestor's tenure and still represents profit, as Clayton was a free transfer last season.

Another Draw Keeps Weymouth Down
0-0 draw for Sutton United, including a disallowed on foul goal by Paul Clayton, keeping the Terras in 9th place, four points out of even a playoff spot, albeit with a game in hand. Worse still, Nabil Sharif broke his ribs and is out 4 weeks.

Terras Drop To 10th
GK Mark Scott committed two grave errors that led to a Weymouth worst ever 3.5 rating, surrendering two goals that never should have been, leading to a 1-2 Terras road defeat. Oliver Hewitt-Fisher's sensational long-range strike was wasted.

Transfer In
20 year old Scottish striker Michael O'Halloran is considered the best attacker on the squad right now and comes with an $80,000 value tag after signing with Weymouth. He's viewed as a superb capture by the fans, one who will give the Terras a sorely needed upgrade up front A mental and physical gifted player, his technique needs a lot of work.

Still No Wins
A 0-0 draw at Dover came as Weymouth struggled to find opportunities for open looks, the matter not helped by Kevin Townson's bad outing.

Finally, A Victory, But A Dim One
Hosting Eversham should have meant a win for Weymouth in the FA Trophy and while the Terras did get it 2-1 with complaining Kenny Schofield in goal, thanks to a rebounding Kevin Townson goal and an Alex Francis bit of dribbling magic for a score, it did nothing for their league position and the margin was too close for comfort.

Another Frustrating Draw
Chance after chance after chance for Weymouth hosting Maidenhead, but nothing would go in and the head would not be broken through. Izulde Jestor threw his clipboard in aggravation after the game. Kevin Townson played poorly for the second time in three games.

Transfer In
21 year old GK Chris Maxwell signed a $1,900 contract for the end of the season and is expected to take over as the starting goalie. He was formerly a stellar goalie for Blue Square Premier side Wrexham and so should prove a boost to the Terras. Mark Scott was immediately transfer listed.

Another Fucking Loss
1-2 road loss to then 22nd placed Staines.

[Izulde]

8 Straight, Now 14th
Another garbage game, hosting Hampton & Richmond, losing 0-1.

Not A League Win, But Victory Nonetheless
On the road the Terras went to Staines, where they narrowly edged out 1-0, winning on Michael O'Halloran's textbook pass to Kevin Townson early on. The first round FA Trophy win guaranteed a bit more money in the coffers and a morale boost to a struggling Weynouth side.

Transfer In
20 year old Irishman Paul Murphy is capable of playing striker, ML, MR and the attacking wing positions. Scouts say he's the best all-around player Weymouth has at this point in time, as evidenced by his $90,000 value tag. He'll likely play the MR spot for now. Similar to some of Izulde Jestor's other signings, Murphy has two U-21 caps to his credit.

Routing The Ghosts
Weymouth finally snapped their slump and in a major way. Up 3-0 before 5 minutes were gone, thanks to two Kevin Townson goals, one on a brilliant Michael O'Halloran pass, and a Oliver Hewitt-Fisher to Graeme Montgomery connection, it was 6-1 before halftime. Townson not only netted a first half hat trick, but O'Halloran finally scored his first two goals for Weymouth. Although Farnborough scored just before the break on a corner header, neither side added to the rich goal tally in the second half. The visitors were so upset by the beating, they refused to shake hands or exchange jerseys after the game.

Right Back To Losing
1-2 road defeat to Dartford, thanks to Kenny Davis's unbelivablly stupid giveaway.