Hutch's tribute to his unpaid heroes (From Dorset Echo)

Hutch's tribute to his unpaid heroes

9:34am Monday 16th November 2009

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WEYMOUTH manager Ian Hutchinson heaped praise on his players after they picked up the Terras’ first Blue Square South win since August.

With the Wessex Stadium outfit veering from one crisis to the next little was expected from their trip to Bishop’s Stortford, especially considering captain Kyle Critchell and powerful defender David Obaze were both absent through suspension.

Hutchinson’s charges, and the manager himself, have not been paid for six weeks but they put in a strong showing to see off Stortford thanks to Jake Reid’s first-half strike.

“Every single one of them was outstanding,” said Hutchinson.

“They didn’t have to turn up but they have and have given their all for the football club and wore their shirts with pride.

“That was a statement for the powers that be, whoever they may be – we’re a bit confused who that is at the moment.

“This football club cannot die and the players have gone out there and given their all for this town, the team and the shirt. And again there were 30, 40 or 50 supporters backing us all the way.

“It shows what you get with a little bit of graft and sticking together with grit and determination.

“With what’s happening this week, as much as we try to focus on the job in hand it’s impossible not to be distracted by it.

“After the game I told the lads to go in the bar and celebrate with a drink, but Jake Reid piped up and said they can’t afford it because they haven’t been paid for six weeks.”

Loan signing Jamie McGuinness came in at right-back with Jamie Frampton partnering Scott Brice in the middle of defence due to the loss of Obaze to suspension.

But they held firm to keep a clean sheet after Reid’s solitary goal in the first half.

“It was the longest 70 minutes of my life but they kept going and it’s testament to them that they did, they are an incredible bunch of lads.

“The atmosphere and the spirit is incredible in adversity.

“I’ve always had faith in those lads – we’ve now got a shape to the side with 4-4-2 and we played some good stuff.

“The commitment they are showing is overwhelming.

“We rode our luck and we deserved that little rub of the green.”

The Weymouth manager also impressed upon his players that they now had to try and do the same tomorrow night at home to Woking (7.45pm) as they look to complete the great escape and survive relegation from the division.

“We can’t get carried away, it’s one win and we now have to move on to Tuesday and build on this,” said Hutchinson.

“We’ve got to keep our feet firmly on the ground – there will be no big heads and no one thinking they are better than what they are.

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