WEYMOUTH chairman Cube Whyte admits a potential relegation to County Division Two would be a “kick in the guts”.

Whyte is set to line up for the Seasiders in their crucial final County Division One game of the season against champions Bere Regis tomorrow (1.30pm) and feels relegation would leave a “sour taste in the mouth”.

Weymouth are four points above Poole Town Seconds in the drop zone, with a first-team strengthened Poole taking on bottom side Wimborne & Colehill Seconds.

But Whyte told Echosport the success of the season cannot be determined by the end result.

He said: “It’s sort of snuck up on us a bit, but that happens when you don’t win a game for two months. It’s all on the line – we win, we stay up. Lose, we go down essentially.

“From a chairman’s point of view I looked at it and thought at the beginning of the season if we got two teams out every week, regardless of where we ended up, it’s been a successful season.

“We’re in a lot stronger position than this time last year. I would have hoped we finished mid-table but we’re in a transition.

“Ideally we want to be in Division One with our destiny in our own hands.

“If we do go down it’s not the end of the world but from a player’s point of view it would put a sour taste in your mouth, it would be a kick in the guts.”

Whyte feels the situation could have been avoided with more luck in several tight games this season.

“On the surface of it, we’re a Division One team. We haven’t had much luck in the close ones. Win one or more of those and we’re not having this conversation.

“I don’t think the success of our season can be judged on whether we stay up.

Weymouth have built a strong side for the encounter, but Whyte is hoping runaway champions Bere falter on the final day.

He said: “All the boys are up for it. Bere have lost one game all season and are due another loss. We have a good team with youth and experience mixed in.

“There are players in there who have played for the club for a long time and won’t want to see us go down.

“I hope Bere bring their best game and we come out on top, that’s how we want to do it.

“It would be nice to secure our position in Div One having played a really tough game.

“It would give us something to hang our hat on.”

Weymouth (from): Payne, Janaway, Whyte, Taylor, Collins, Mitchell, Blackman, Puckett, Womble, J Sapsworth, B Lawes, Rathnayake

n Weymouth Seconds host Bere Regis Seconds at Redlands in County Division Six tomorrow (1.30pm).

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