Aldershot loss gives Weymouth boss Brian Stock flashbacks

DEJECTED Weymouth boss Brian Stock admitted he had “flashbacks” to poor performances seen earlier this season as Aldershot Town coasted to a 3-0 victory.

While the defeat was Weymouth’s first at home in the Vanarama National League since Notts County won 1-0 in late January, there were worrying signs of a retreat in standards.

Numerous heavy touches plagued Weymouth’s approach play, too often long balls were hopefully booted upfield and Aldershot frequently had joy in advanced central positions.

The outcome was a double for Josh Rees, either side of a Harry Panayiotou header.

READ MORE: Weymouth 0-3 Aldershot Town – match report

READ MORE: Terras well beaten by Aldershot – how it happened

Rees also went close to a hat-trick when his delicious free-kick struck the bar in stoppage-time.

Weymouth failed to trouble opposing keeper Mitch Walker and a pained Stock aired his feelings after the game.

He said: “I’m really disappointed. I’m more disappointed in the way we lost, it just wasn’t us. Even from the first minute.

“Everything we focused on in the last few weeks went out of the window. We looked a shadow of ourselves.

“We didn’t look like we knew what we were doing with the ball, which has come as a surprise.

“When we lost to Torquay, we looked OK, compact and solid. We invited a bit of pressure but (yesterday) we looked leggy, tired, lethargic.

“Whether that’s too much for the players, I don’t know. One of the down sides to being a part-time team is that we don’t know what they’ve done at work.

“They come to a fixture against a side that were hungry, athletic, strong, physical, really took the game to us. I’ve got absolutely no qualms about the result.”

Weymouth have taken 22 points in 2021 and Stock hopes this showing will be an isolated incident.

“I’m hoping it’s a one-off because I had flashbacks of what some of our performances were like earlier in the season,” he said.

“I want to make sure the players remember over the last seven (home) games how well they’ve done.

“They’ve beaten some very good teams here.

“It’s important they remember that because I want to stay up on merit.”

Weymouth were without Dom Revan (head), who is being assessed at parent club Aston Villa.

New signing Ben Morgan hyperextended his knee and was replaced at half-time, as was stand-in skipper Jake McCarthy.

Weymouth briefly improved after the interval when Sean Shields saw the Terras’ best chance go to waste.

Asked if an equaliser would have changed the game, Stock said: “Most definitely.

“I think Sean’s disappointed that he didn’t put that one away.

“When you have a player that tries his hardest – and not necessarily is it going for him – it’s hard to criticise him for missing.

“It was a great move and you’d probably put money on Sean converting that chance. Unfortunately I think his touch was overrun and the keeper came out and saved it.”