The holders bowed out of this season's Dorset Senior Cup at the first hurdle as they succumbed to local rivals Weymouth from the Blue Square Conference South. A strong Weymouth side lined up looking for their first win since August and some much needed confidence boost. For Poole Gill and Cook started in place of Trefor and Steve Smith, Lamin Dibba still not being risked as he comes back from injury.

Due to a road traffic accident on the way into Weymouth many supporters arrived late (including this one) although some Poole fans were still filing through the turn style at half time! On arriving on ten minutes the first action I saw was a thunderbolt thirty yard effort from Weymouth which was tipped over the bar by Nic Jones.

Poole looked just as lively however and Russell Cook went on a great run down the right wing which took him from midway in his own half into the Weymouth penalty area before his shot was saved by the home keeper.

In a rather ordinary looking Weymouth side their front two did stand out with their pace and guile and it was Reid who broke away on 16 minutes, nutmegged a Poole defender and after Jones had made a save it was Reid again who thumped in the rebound to give the Terras the lead.

Not many other chances were created in the first half as Poole battled well to earn at least as much ball possession as their Blue Square counterparts. On 28 minutes a freekick deep into the Poole area found a Weymouth player completely free but he couldn't apply the finish. Poole finished the half brightly with some good passing down the left which saw a nice cross into the path of Stu Brown but his shot was again well saved.

Half time: 1-0.

Trefor Smith replaced Carl Poore at half time as Gill dropped deeper into a more right wingback role. On 53 minutes a Weymouth free header into the box found another unmarked striker but his final header went wide of the post. This was a good spell for Weymouth and you could almost sense another goal coming. Sure enough, on the hour it came when a cross from the right saw Gill and a striker both go for the ball at the near post with the Poole player credited with an own goal.

Poole battled on extremely well however and on 68 minutes Steve Smith and Aaron Skelton came on for Stu Brown and Dave Sturgess. Carl Preston had looked particularly lively during the evening and when the Weymouth keeper made a hash of a clearance on the edge of the box Steve Smith aimed a shot at goal and Preston nipped in to bundle the ball over the line before a defender could clear.

Any thoughts of a glorious comeback were extinguished just minutes later when a Weymouth corner from the right found the head of Scott Brice and he thumped it home.

This was a decent workmanlike performance from Poole and one of which they can be pleased. If we wasn't going to win the Cup again this year then perhaps it's better we bow out now to concentrate on other things.

Good game.