DORCHESTER Town boss Steve Thompson has revealed his concerns to club staff over the poor state of the Avenue Stadium pitch ahead of the Magpies’ Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division tussle with St Ives Town tomorrow (3pm).

Thompson conceded he had initially flagged up his alarm at the bobbly turf six weeks ago.

The Magpies’ surface was visibly cutting up in Saturday’s 4-1 loss to Hitchin Town, while several players struggled with the slippery conditions.

Dorchester have a busy home schedule over the Christmas period, hosting three more games in the space of seven days, and Thompson added the club had already utilised a heavy roller at the beginning of November for the visit of Biggleswade Town.

He told Echosport: “The pitch has been a concern. I’ve voiced my concerns about the pitch as long as six weeks ago.

“We’ve had a heavy roller in for the Biggleswade game but finances are such that hiring a roller is not always possible.”

Thompson also feels the pitch will make a passing game more difficult, while suiting a more direct team.

He said: “The pitch doesn’t help anyone. The only sort of team it would help would be a very direct long ball team.

“Both teams (on Saturday) looked to get it forward early with a passing game and a support game of forward running and movement rather than just boshing it in to two big guys up top.”

Dorchester tackle a St Ives side that have lost eight of their 11 league away games this season, but the Magpies have themselves lost their last three league games in succession.

But Thompson saw no reason for his players’ confidence to dip, having created over 20 chances during those three losses.

“As I’ve said to the players the most important thing is that we stick together and we handle criticism well.

“In the last three games we’ve lost three and we’ve created 23, 24 chances. It’s not often you can say that, but I can justifiably.

“But the main concern for me is the goals we’re letting in,” he said.

Captain Gary Bowles will serve the second match of a three-game suspension, while midfielder Luke Winsper could make a playing return from a knee injury after he was named as an unused substitute against Hitchin.

Aaron Rodriguez, who is battling with tonsillitis, is also a doubt, while Ollie Griggs remains on the comeback trail from a pubis bone problem.