DPL Previews: Chickerell set for Rec mission (From Dorset Echo)

DPL Previews: Chickerell set for Rec mission

9:07am Friday 15th February 2013 in Football

MAURICE Welch believes perennial heavyweights Hamworthy Recreation possess frailties this season that his Chickens can exploit in tomorrow’s Magna Dorset Premier League Cup quarter-final at Magna Road (1.30pm).

Chickerell United are currently on an unbeaten league run of seven games and will go into the tie full of confidence whereas their opponents will be looking to bounce back from a heavy home defeat against Wincanton Town.

Welch, who is hoping to name an unchanged squad, told Echosport: “They got beat 4-0 at home last weekend which was a bit of a surprise.

“I am not sure what happened there but there is no doubt it is going to be a tough game against a team that are always there or thereabouts in every competition.

“If we carry on from where we left off against Bridport Reserves last week then we will stand every chance.

“They are certainly not the Hamworthy Recreation of a couple of years back and there are weaknesses there that we can get at, so hopefully we can do that and come away with a positive result.”

Away from the cup, Weymouth Reserves have home advantage and some key personnel back for their league encounter with Bridport Reserves tomorrow (2pm).

Sanchez Jansz-Baker, Tom Bell, Lee Sharpe and Charlie Holland all return to the squad though Adam Anstey and Liam Greatrex are still out injured.

Although delighted to have the quartet available again, joint-manager Jake Richmond has some tough choices to make.

“I’ve got something of a dilemma because of the young lads that came in and did well last Saturday not all of them will keep their place,” he said.

“A couple of them that haven’t got 90 minutes in them will drop to the bench but I’ll look to give them half an hour.”

Weymouth surrendered the lead twice in drawing 2-2 at Cranborne last time out and Richmond is adamant lessons must be learnt.

“The young lads are so eager to impress that when they come from youth football they want to win the ball every time they are near it or score whenever they are close to the goal.

“We were committing players forward at 1-0 up when we didn’t really need to be. Two or three is okay but six or seven isn’t and they’ve got to learn to play the percentages.

“You don’t have to chase the game when you’re in front you just need to make it difficult for the other side.

“We had the euphoria of going 2-1 up then switched off at the back and 60 seconds later Cranborne had equalised so it’s lessons like that they’ve got to learn.”

Bees boss Robin Townsend expects a hard day at the office, adding: “It is another tough away game against a side that have been going very well of late.

“However, there was a lot we could take from our performance against Chickerell last week, so if we can build on that and keep 11 men on the pitch this time, hopefully we can come away with something.

“When two reserve teams play each other you never know who each side is going to have, but both sides like to get it down and play so it should make for a very good game.

“I am hoping to have a couple of players back available to me but we will just have to wait and see.”

Portland United boss Chris Wilson, pictured above, said he had to bite his tongue when giving an opinion on the decision to call off his side’s game at Sherborne Town Reserves last Saturday.

Instead, he is focusing on tomorrow when the islanders host Wareham Rangers (2pm) six weeks after the visitors fought back from 3-0 down to earn a draw on their patch.

Because of that Sherborne postponement Portland dropped to second in the table with Holt taking over top spot thanks to a win at Merley Cobham Sports.

“It was extremely frustrating for us last weekend,” said Wilson. “Hopefully we’ll get a game on tomorrow and we’re playing a side that has arguably given us our two toughest matches this season, in the cup and the league.

“We were our own worst enemies when we drew 3-3 but they put us under a lot of pressure and they work really hard and press high up the pitch so we’ve got to expect the same this time.”

Jimmy Dailey (knee) is very doubtful while Joe Toghill (ankle) and Mitchell Conning (flu) face late fitness tests.