CHICKERELL United manager Maurice Welch will be without Liam Beades for tomorrow’s visit of high-flying Holt United (2pm).

Sharpshooter Beades celebrated his return to the Chickens from Magna Dorset Premier League neighbours Portland United with a double in their victory over Sturminster New-ton last weekend.

However, Welch revealed that his new signing is unavailable tomorrow – as are defenders Liam Weeks and Brendan Kelly, who has sustained an Achilles injury.

Counterbalancing those losses though is the news that Terry Oldrid, Grant Chance and Scott Henley should all return amid another week of upheaval.

Holt, who beat 11th-placed Chick-erell 3-0 in the reverse fixture last October, are currently fourth in the table and will move level on points with Portland if they capture the spoils at Weymouth College.

Welch said: “Holt are a very good side and have been one of the top six teams in the league for 10 years or more now. They are a benchmark for us to reach.

“They are a good footballing side and are very lively. We will have to be at our best to get near them and will need to improve on last week’s performance, where our passing and movement were poor.

“If we play that way against Holt we will be taught a lesson. But we have a chance to put those things right and should have a better surface to play on at the college.

“Liam Beades was superb last week and with Grant Chance coming back it would be nice to have both of them. But to be fair to Liam, I knew when he joined that he would be unavailable for this game.”

Asked if he had devised a strategy to nullify Holt, Welch added: “I went with 4-4-2 at Sturminster but I expect I’ll revert to a 4-5-1 formation, which I think we are more comfortable with.

“It depends on what personnel are available but I imagine we’ll look to soak up the pressure from Holt and try to catch them on the break.

“The longer we can keep the game at 0-0 the better it will be for us because the more it will frustrate Holt. We have got a six-pointer against Cranborne next weekend so it would be nice to go into it on a high.”

Chickens (from): Bickerstaff, Graham, Henley, Burton, Oldrid, D Skelton, A Skelton, B Skelton, Carlile, Chance, Maxted, Hoffmann, Thorne.