MANAGER Jason Matthews insists Weymouth are hoping to “make a statement” this evening, as they head into battle with dangerous St Neots Town at the Bob Lucas Stadium (7.45pm).

The Saints, managed by David Batch since the end of last month, were favourites to lift the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division title before the start of the campaign.

They are unbeaten in their three league games this year, picking up seven points in the process.

After Weymouth recorded back-to-back league losses with a 3-0 reverse against Slough on Saturday, Matthews revealed that the Terras discussed how to combat their recent blip in form.

“The boys are looking to give a reaction to the last two defeats,” he told Echosport. “We had a chat on Saturday and they are desperate to put it right.”

“There is good togetherness in the squad, it’s a good dressing room to be in and it’s up to us to make a little bit of a statement over the next two games.

“We just said we need to go back to basics, we have not executed our game plan for the last two games and it hasn’t gone for us.

“Usually when we stay in the games for the first 15 minutes we end up winning, we haven’t done that for the last two games and we have been punished.”

Visitors St Neots, who currently lie eighth in the league standings just two points outside the play-off places, beat Weymouth 2-0 in the reverse fixture in August and hit six past Dorchester Town at the Cozy Stadium last month.

The deadly strike trio of Drew Roberts, Chris Dillon and Ben Mackey were all on target against the Magpies that day, and Matthews knows the Terras’ rearguard will have to be faultless to prevent them tonight.

He added: “Obviously St Neots are underachieving for what they are spending.

“They have three of the top scorers from last season with Dillon, Roberts and Mackey in their team, so it will be a tough test.

“They must have some sort of thing with strikers, I’m not sure exactly what, but it’s up to my defenders to react because we made some defensive errors on Saturday.”

The Terras’ boss also hinted that he will go with an unchanged squad for the encounter, meaning Exeter City loan duo Jamie Reid and Connor Riley-Lowe could make their home debuts.

Terras (from): Matthews, Wells, Riley-Lowe, McPhee, Laird, Brooks, Colwell, Kelly, Rigg, Yetton, Sills, Fiddes, Reid, Copp, West, Prodomo