Duff and Critchell are both ruled out for Weymouth (From Dorset Echo)

Duff and Critchell are both ruled out for Weymouth

9:24am Wednesday 20th February 2013 in Sport By Adam Summers

KYLE Critchell and Craig Duff will both miss tonight’s monstrous midweek jaunt to basement boys Kettering Town (7.45pm).

The two first-team regulars are unavailable for the 416-mile round trip and with Lewis Clarke also unable to travel, the Terras have been left with limited options.

Boss Brendon King told Echosport: “Kyle is on a course which was booked a while ago when we didn’t have a game and unfortunately there is no way he can get out of it. “It’s a four-day course and this is the type of thing that can happen when matches are rearranged.

“Craig Duff cannot get the time off work and Lewis Clarke has a course as well so we really are going to be down to the bare bones.

“We could take a couple of the youngsters with us but I don’t want to take them just for the sake of it.

“It’s a monstrous trip, particularly having been up that way already at Cam-bridge City on Saturday, and with the reserves having a game as well tonight we have to be sensible.

“It’s a difficult one because we have to leave at 1.30pm and probably won’t get back to around 3am in the morning which makes it hard for people in terms of work and getting time off.

“It is no excuse though because it is something we just have to do.

“All we can do is go there with what we have got and look to come away with a positive result.”

ON A COURSE: Kyle Critchell (pictured above) 

The Poppies, who are currently groundsharing with Corby Town, have failed to pick up a single point in their last seven outings in which they have conceded 21 goals but King is refusing to read anything into that.

He added: “It is going to be as tough as Saturday, if not tougher because they are fighting for their lives and in desperate need of a result.

“If we go there and underestimate them then it will spell trouble but I know the lads will be switched on.

“Although we lost 2-0 at the weekend I took great heart from our performance particularly in terms of commitment and attitude.

“Even when we went down to 10 men the lads kept giving everything and if we produce a similar display this evening we will stand every chance of coming away with something.”

Kettering, who suffered a 10-point deduction for entering a CVA last June, are 19 points adrift of safety while the Terras sit eighth, just five points off the play-offs.

Terras (from): Evans, Povall, Palmer, Poole, Wells, McConnell, Walker, Clay, Reed, Skinner, Smith, Joyce, Ford, Groves.

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