MARK Molesley admitted it was frustrating to see his side’s scheduled FA Trophy first round clash at home with Needham Market postponed due to the weather.

The match was called off shortly before 2pm with the rain lashing down on the pitch.

When asked if it was frustrating, Molesley replied: “Definitely, obviously all of the boys arrived. Unfortunately the pitch was not playable, and it was never going to be playable.

“If it was not playable at half-one then it definitely was not going to be at three.”

Molesley says his side are looking to make up for their 3-1 defeat in the league to Gosport on Tuesday night.

Molesley said: “We were itching to get back out there and react from Tuesday night’s disappointment, but it is not to be.

“We have got a game again quickly so we turn our attentions to that.”

However, the Terras will use the disappointment of not playing to fire them up.

When asked what he said to the players after the postponement, Molesley said: “It is always a difficult one, when you get to the game and everyone is ready to play. We just have to use the disappointment as fuel for our fire.

“We are itching to make amends from Tuesday and we might have to wait a little bit longer.”

The Echo spoke to Weymouth director Josh Barton about the process of calling off the match at a late juncture.

Barton said: “When the match referee arrived we were trying to give the game every chance. The referee was (also) obviously trying to give it every chance.”

Needham Market, from Suffolk, stayed in a hotel in Poole overnight in preparation for the match due to the 465-mile round trip.

Barton, speaking shortly after the match was postponed, added: “We have had people travel to the game including Needham Market and the referee and the officials themselves.

“It was everyone trying to get the game on this morning. The pitch was playable but as you have seen it has got worse and worse and it is quite torrential now.

“It was not through the want of trying as everyone would know. It is the first time in a long time that I have remembered a game being called off for rain.

“It is not ideal but the game will obviously have to be replayed now.”

The Terras have had a solid record at avoiding postponements, with the most recent occasion being when the pitch was snowed under earlier this year.

Barton said: “It is frustrating for everyone but for the safety of the players it really was not worth it.

“That is the priority for the referee and everybody else concerned because you do not want to see players getting injured or hurt out there so the right decision was made by the match referee.”

Barton paid tribute to the groundstaff, whose efforts unfortunately could not rescue the match.

Barton said: “A quick word for the groundsman and the volunteers.

“I want to put on record our thanks to everyone that tried to get the game played.”

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