WEYMOUTH defender Calvin Brooks feels home cup matches provide the Terras with an “extra boost” ahead of their FA Trophy third qualifying round tie with Hastings United today (3pm).

Weymouth welcome the Arrows to the Bob Lucas Stadium having already exited the FA Cup at the last qualifying stage – cruelly relinquishing a 1-0 lead in the final eight minutes to Dover.

But Brooks feels the Terras’ “excellent” home crowd can help send Weymouth through against the Isthmian League South East Division side.

He told Echosport: “It’s excellent. Same with a cup match as a league match, when it’s a big game the big crowd comes out and we get the whole fanbase behind us. It gives us an extra boost.

“Those are the games, as a player, you look forward to playing in the most where the Bob Lucas is packed out, everyone’s singing and loving it.

“That’s what we want, to get as many people out (as possible) and I hope we’re doing that with our results and performances on the pitch.”

Such is the confidence within Weymouth’s squad at present, Brooks backed his teammates to secure victory against United whatever the location.

“I would have fancied ourselves home or away,” he admitted. “At this stage of the season when games are coming thick and fast, it’s ideal to have another home game.

“It just cuts that extra travelling out, especially with some of the away trips we’ve got coming up.

“We’ll go at it 100 per cent. We’ve lost our place in the FA Cup – we were extremely disappointed with that.

“It felt like a real kick in the teeth being 1-0 up with eight minutes to play and somehow coming out losing that game.

“That was a real chance for us to play against some top teams and show what we can do.

“The FA Trophy I’m sure the manager (Mark Molesley) will be taking it 100 per cent seriously and looking to get as far as we can.”

Winners of today’s tie will receive £3,750 in prize money, while the losers will bag a £1,250 consolation.