Jamie Wells has made Weymouth’s target clear before their third qualifying round tie with SE Dons: reach the Emirates FA Cup first round proper. It is a simple ambition, but one that reflects exactly where the Terras are in the competition, with a long road still ahead.
Weymouth know they must get past SE Dons first before they can even think about the final qualifying round, where National League sides enter the draw. Wells has also stressed that the cup tie at the Bob Lucas Stadium should not be judged by league standing or outside expectation.
Wells expects a proper cup battle
“It'll be a typical cup game, form and league results go out the window,” Wells said, underlining the danger of reading too much into the gap between the two sides.
SE Dons may be from Step 5, but Wells was quick to point out that their run to this stage has not been down to luck. They reached the third qualifying round after five ties, and their squad contains players with experience at Step 2 and 3. That, in his view, makes the level they are competing at feel a little misleading.
“There is plenty of them to see of them on Youtube and they have loads of players who have played at Step 2 and 3, so them being at Step 5 is a bit false,” he said. “They have the quality to be in a higher league, so it won't be easy but we are looking forward to it.”
Confidence and availability at the right time
Weymouth will go into the game with a full group available, and that gives Wells a chance to pick from a stronger squad than might otherwise have been the case at this stage of the season. Wes Fogden, Matt Neale and Tor Swann were all declared fit, while Kieran Douglas is back after serving a one-match suspension.
Wells said some players are still not fully at 100 per cent, but he was satisfied that everyone is ready to be involved. “We've got everyone available but some are still only 90 per cent but they are all available and that is ideal for a game like this,” he said.
That matters because the margin for error in the FA Cup is so small. Weymouth’s current form has given the squad confidence, but Wells also knows that cup matches often demand a different level of control, patience and resilience.
The target is clear
Wells does not want the occasion to become too complicated. He has backed his players to handle the message themselves and believes experience in the squad can help keep the focus on the task in front of them.
“There's plenty enough experience in our squad for the lads to portray that message themselves,” he said. “We will turn up and give everything as we always do.”
For Weymouth, the objective is straightforward. Win the tie, keep the run alive and get one step closer to the first round proper. As Wells put it, “We want to win and we want to get to the first round proper.”
Against an opponent who have already shown they can survive in the competition, that target will require the kind of disciplined performance Wells has been talking about all week. But with confidence in the camp and bodies available, Weymouth have at least put themselves in a strong position to attack the tie properly.
