WEYMOUTH manager Brian Stock praised the Terras’ ruthlessness after securing a 1-0 friendly win over League Two side Swindon Town.
Stock’s men overcame their higher-league opposition after striker Brad Ash notched his sixth goal of pre-season.
And the Terras rarely looked troubled thereafter – barring Tom Bearwish’s superb slide tackle to deny Anthony Grant.
The manner in which Weymouth closed out the victory, however, was the most pleasing aspect of the afternoon for Stock.
He told Echosport: “I really like the way we saw out a game of football.
“That’s a really good sign because it wasn’t driven from myself on the sidelines.
“It was the players that took control and when you have that responsibility on the pitch, that’s a good sign.
“We didn’t take chances and at times I felt we were playing kamikaze football back to the goalkeeper. I want us to be a bit more positive with our passing.
READ MORE: Weymouth 1-0 Swindon Town - match report
“It was a really good game. It’s given us lots to think about, like every game has.
“I felt the attitude was excellent again. One or two things early on that we wanted to address but when you look at the final outcome there’s loads of positives.”
One highlight was the goalscoring instinct of Ash, who was ideally placed to touch home Brandon Goodship’s cushioned header across the six-yard box.
Stock said: “He gives us that impetus to run in behind, his work rate’s excellent and he’s a natural finisher.
“That’s six in four or five games but when you look at the minutes he’s played, he’s started very well.”
Weymouth traded blows with Swindon in the first half, while a few jittery moments crept into their defensive game.
Stock added: “I felt at times we were sloppy in possession. There were a couple of times where I wasn’t too sure whether the players believed in actually playing out or trying to play.
“It was pleasing to see that they came through that.
“Half-time came at a good time for us and gave us an opportunity to address one or two things and give confidence to play. I felt second half they did that.”
Weymouth again fielded three triallists, all of whom have featured heavily in pre-season.
Asked if deals were close for the trio, Stock said: “Very close. They’ve all made a good impression and a great attitude from every single one of them.”
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