Hola Horadada
By Adam Summers

Tuesday 2nd January 2007

WEYMOUTH will swap the wind and rain for glorious sunshine on Wednesday when they fly out to Spain for a three-day break.

The Terras, whose Nationwide Conference National clash against Burton Albion at the Wessex Stadium on Saturday was called off due to a waterlogged pitch, will train on the continent and play a friendly against Spanish Third Division side UD Horadada.

Speaking just an hour after match referee John Hopkins ruled that the Dorset outfit's pitch was unplayable, Weymouth boss Garry Hill said: "We had a lot of rain in the early hours of this morning and there are puddles on the pitch.

The referee looked at it at around 11.15am to 11.30am and felt that with the surface water the safety of the players would have been under threat had he allowed it to go ahead, particularly if it continued to rain.

"To be honest it has done us a big favour. With the injuries that we have and the virus that has been going around the squad, perhaps the gods are smiling down on me after all."

The cancellation means that by the time they visit Halifax Town on January 20, the Terras will have gone 19 days without playing a competitive first-team fixture. Hill's men are not in action this coming Saturday because they are no longer involved in the FA Trophy.

Hill said: "We have a two-week window now and the most important thing is that we recover from all the knocks and injuries, and this virus that has been going around.

"We are going to go away for three nights to Spain on Wednesday. The chairman had a chat with Gary Calder (chief executive) and I and gave us the opportunity to have the break and I think it will be a huge benefit.

"We will train out there and play a friendly against Horadada and it will give the lads a bit of recovery time and a bit of a break so we can come back fresh."

After the trip to Halifax, Weymouth will travel to Exeter City three days later for what promises to be another pulsating local derby. The Terras beat the Grecians 2-1 at the Wessex Stadium on Boxing Day.

Hill said: "Thev are all massive games now and that is why this break has come at the right time because it will also give me the chance with the transfer window to try and strengthen the squad: Hopefully by the time we go to Halifax we will be really ready to push on."

• Former Weymouth striker Wayne Purser has joined fellow Conference National side Cambridge United. The ex-Peterborough United man left the Terras by mutual consent
last week.