Dorchester Town head to Tiverton Town today in a fixture manager Tom Killick has labelled as “hugely significant” in the context of their Southern League campaign.
The Magpies travel to Ladysmead to face a Tiverton side currently bottom of the table, knowing that victory could further increase the gap between themselves and the relegation zone.
Dorchester have climbed to 16th place after losing just twice in their last six league outings, a run that includes an important 2–1 home win over Hungerford earlier this month. Although they were beaten by Sholing last weekend, Killick’s side remain two points clear of the drop zone heading into the match.
Tiverton, by contrast, have endured a difficult season and sit adrift at the foot of the table with only eight points, leaving them 11 points from safety.
Despite the circumstances, Killick was keen to stress that the fixture should not be viewed as a must-win encounter. He explained that, with Dorchester currently outside the relegation places, it would be unfair to label it as such. However, he acknowledged the importance of the game and believes his side can still have a positive season regardless of the result.
One area Killick is keen to improve is his team’s ability to see games out. Dorchester have already drawn eight matches this season and have struggled to protect leads or find late winners, a sharp contrast to last year when late goals were a regular feature of their performances. Killick admitted that addressing both the mental and tactical side of the game will be key, adding that the squad remains committed but capable of more.
In terms of team news, Dorchester will be without captain Will Spetch and forward Wayne Robinson, who are both suspended. Jack Dickson is a doubt after illness forced him out of last weekend’s squad, while winger Marcus Daws will definitely miss the game as the club await the results of a scan.
New signing Marcel McIntosh is pushing for a starting place after catching the manager’s eye with an impressive substitute appearance in the previous match.
