9:22am Saturday 20th March 2010
By Derek Bish
STEPHEN Reed will return to the Weymouth line-up at Chelmsford City today (3pm) after resolving “disciplinary issues” with the club, writes Derek Bish.
The on-loan Macclesfield Town midfielder was a surprise omission from the Terras’ team-sheet against Welling United at the Wessex Stadium last weekend but will make the trip to Essex.
Meanwhile, Pierre Joseph-Dubois is likely to be back after overcoming his hamstring injury but Cam-bridge United loanee Ben Farrell is not likely to feature for another two weeks with a similar problem.
The 23-year-old central midfield player was on the field for 45 minutes of the reserves’ 2-0 loss to Westland Sports on Wednesday but struggled throughout.
“He wasn’t running well on Wednesday night and didn’t look fit,” said Harris. “He didn’t want to acknowledge that fact but I could tell he was putting a brave face on things. We need players who can run their socks off for 90 minutes, but he came down and gave it a go so fair play to him.”
With Reed and Joseph-Dubois back, the Terras will have a slightly more experienced look to them, but defender Cameron Mawer will be absent as he serves the final match of a two-game suspension for accumulating 10 bookings this season.
That experience will need to be used to the full as Weymouth face a second-placed Chelmsford City outfit looking to cement their place in the Blue Square South play-off positions.
“They are on a good run,” acknowledged Harris. “They have won five of their last six and drawn the other so are bang in form.
“It will be a different proposition to last weekend because Welling were strong and organised and Chelmsford are a much more attacking side.
“They like to knock the ball about and draw teams out so it’s another test for the young lads.
“But they showed they could compete last weekend and going away to a team who are in form will be another step in their development.”
Caretaker player-boss Harris, who is also the club’s permanent assistant-manager, would also welcome the return of “good mates” Ian Hutchinson and Andy Mason, should a deal be agreed with chairman George Rolls for them to return as the Terras’ management duo.
“If Hutch and Mase come back into the fold then good luck to them,” said Harris. “They are good mates of mine but we’ll just have to see what happens there.
“In the time being I have been entrusted to take the team on and we are in a no-lose situation.
“All we can go out and do is give our best and compete against teams who are strong and established in this league.
“I’m fully aware of the situation the club is in off the field but I don’t want an air of inevitability creeping in where we go out and accept defeat.
“I’m not looking to accept defeat whether I’m playing with a bunch of 30-year-olds or a bunch of teenagers.”
Terras (from): Sandercombe, Tribe, Frampton, Harris, Dixon, Lamb, McGuinness, Reed, Radcliffe, Joseph-Dubois, Foster, Neish, Vincent, Reiffer, McKechnie, Evans, Richardson.
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