Wyke Smugglers are a Weymouth based football team who play on Saturday afternoons in the Dorset County Second Division.We are associated with the Wyke Smugglers Pub on Portland road.Wyke Smugglers have endured a bumpy ride in the higher divisions of the Dorset League in recent seasons.Narrowly avoiding relegation last season with some very good results at the end of the season,notably the Stalbridge game and the player mangers power drive which sent the boys into dreamland!
This season the club has signed some new players in Thomas Ellis,Adam Bellings and Damian Mclucuas and seen the departure of some old faces in Mike Dear and Neil Voss...good luck in the future boys!We also welcome back in a Smugglers shirt from Portland Pat Cloke and out of retirement Mark Butcher...welcome back boys!
The club will be moving across the town to the island of Portland,Grove corner, to play there home fixtures this season.To view directions to Grove Corner see the directions page on the site. Review of the games!
GAME 1 Post Office(a) L3-2
We started the season just like last year with a double header against our old rivals the posties.Both sides started brightly in a open attacking game but first blood went to the Post men,we soon struck back through M.Butcher.After the break the Posties went 3-1 up but the game was still pretty even and Wykes pressure paid off when Ian Coynee pulled one back with an early goal of the season contender with a volley from the edge of the box!Wyke applied some pressure towards the end but the third never came.All in all though not a bad start for us cosidering the team has changed dramitacally since last season
GAME 2 Post Office(h) L 1-3
The first game at our new ground 'Grove Corner' on Portland got off to a bad start when new signing Anthony our goalkeeper was injured in a brave challenge with a Postie attacker!Player manger Dill tock over between the sticks,but was unable to prevent us from going down 3-1, the only good points to come out of the game for Wyke was an inspirational performance by man of the match Ritchie Beasant, and Thomas Ellis first goal for the club!
GAME 3 Kingston(h) D 2-2
Our third game ebbed and flowed in want ended up a very phyiscal contest between two teams looking for their first point of the season.Wyke lead twice in this game for Kingston too reply both times,firstly in respone too Mark(brother of player manger Dill)and then too Thomas Ellis scoring in his second game in a row!In the end both teams ended with a point,which on reflection was probable about right!One special mention must go too Simon Fry who had an outstanding display at centre back,could this be his new postion?
GAME 4 Stalbridge(h) D 2-2
Again player manger Dill Butcher found himself having to cover in between the sticks after Anthony had injured his foot early in the week.This didnt stop Wyke from playing their best football of the season,the first half saw us produce loads of great chances but lady luck wasn't with us when Stalbridge (against the run of play )on their first attack scored!Wyke's reply was straight from the restart a great move down the left ended up with man of the match Whizzie scoring a great goal.Wyke started the second just like they finished the first, another great move with this time Damien Mclucas converting for his first of the season!Stalbridges equaliser was pretty bizarre,the build up saw Homer deflect a return header goalwards with the goalkeeper stranded,lucky due to the hardness of the ground the ball bounced over the croosbar!The resulting corner saw the ball fly in direct from the corner takers boot!!!Again another 2-2 draw and we were all left fealing as though 3 points had gone begging,but the side are improving and this performance was our best to date! |
