WEYMOUTH manager Bobby Wilkinson revealed how long-range shooting practice played a part in Joe Cook’s blockbuster winner at Dartford.

Cook, a centre-half by trade, stepped forward and unleashed a corker from 30 yards as Dartford were beaten 1-0.

Harry Parsons also hit the post for Weymouth, while the closest Dartford came was a disallowed goal for skipper Luke Coulson as the Terras claimed a hat-trick of wins.

But it was the quality of Cook’s strike that provided the match-winning moment, with Wilkinson revealing it was no fluke.

He told Echosport: “I was really pleased with that. Two weeks ago, we were working on shooting and the defenders were scoring top lockers all the time.

READ MORE: Dartford 0-1 Weymouth - report

“We put them in defenders, midfielders and forwards, went round in a little group. They were with me for six minutes, Mike (Percival, assistant) for six minutes and Bark (Lea Barkus, coach) for six.

“Every time that group came in with me, him and Jordon (Thompson) and Calvin (Brooks) were putting it in the top locker.

“I said: ‘You’ll never score like that in a game’ just jokingly and he’s gone and put a 30-yarder in the top-right corner!

“He deserves some credit. I was about to go mad at him to tell him to pass it wide but he put it in the top locker, so what do I know?”

Wilkinson admitted he did not envisage Cook scoring such a wonderful goal, despite his prowess in training.

“No, I didn’t if I’m being honest,” he said. “I believed it after the training session because he believed he could score every time.

“Credit to him, he’s won us the game with a hell of a strike. We deserved that because we’ve dominated the second half.

“We hit the post, had chance after chance, nothing fell for us. The keeper made four or five worldies.”

Wilkinson also highlighted the confidence flowing through Weymouth after three consecutive victories.

He said: “The boys deserve the credit, I’m a broken record at times I know that. We’re keeping clean sheets, we’re outsmarting teams, outplaying teams.

“We’re a confident unit. It’s a really tight group but it’s taken a long time to build. We’re trying to do the best we can to continue this exciting journey we’re on at the moment.

“Football’s a funny game. It can change overnight if you don’t keep working and the standards high.

“The mindset right now is to focus and move straight on to the next game. All that matters now is Hemel at home. We’ll work extremely hard to be ready.”

Whereas Weymouth had been looking over their shoulder a few months ago, they are now just seven points off the play-off positions with 17 games remaining.

Wilkinson added: “We’ve closed the gap a little bit more, but just win your next game and see how you get on.

“Hard work gets rewarded and it’s been a tough 18 months. We had a lot of their fans saying: ‘How have you got that team so fit, organised?’

“We’ve just gone into a real battle on Tuesday in unbelievable conditions, refreshed them, trained hard on Thursday and there were no knocks or bruises.

“Everyone put in another unbelievable shift.”

The clean sheet was also Weymouth’s third in succession, a landmark not achieved since Tom McHale kept three shutouts in April 2019.

The Terras move on to a home clash with Hemel Hempstead Town on Saturday (3pm), with the Tudors currently 10th in the Vanarama National League South compared to Weymouth’s 16th.