PHIL Simkin is looking forward to seeing striker Warren Byerley back in Dorchester Town colours tomorrow – but the Magpies’ boss has anxieties over matters at the other end of the pitch going into the home clash with Dover Athletic (3pm).

However, the Dorchester manager’s first concern is the weather and if the pitch at the Avenue will be able to hold up after the heavy rain in recent weeks.

If the Skrill South fixture does get the green light then not only will Byerley make his first appearance for the Magpies in his fourth spell with the club, but captain Mark Jermyn will play his 600th match for Dorchester.

He returns after suspension but Steve Walker and Clive Makoni are still banned, Ashley Vickers drops out, while on-loan Charlie Losasso is expected to make his home debut.

Byerley, on a month-long loan from Poole Town, is set to give a much-needed shot in the arm to the Magpies’ forward line, and Simkin is thrilled to have him back at the Avenue.

“I believe Warren will score goals for us at this level,” he said. “He has got real quality and is good with the ball in the right areas.

“His touch and ball retention is excellent, and when you pass him the ball on the edge of the box it sticks.

“And when anything drops to him in the box he normally puts it in the net. He is also the best one-on-one finisher I have seen.

“I don’t want to build him up too much but I’m delighted to have him.”

But, Simkin knows his defence is likely to be severely tested by a physical Dover team who sit 11th in the table and won the reverse fixture 1-0 last October.

He continued: “They are a big side and I’m not altogether sure how we are going to defend set-pieces against them.

“Set-pieces are going to be massive in this game and we’ll have to do the best we can to get bodies in amongst them.”

Meanwhile, it appears that the ankle injury sustained by Jake McCarthy while training with parent club Bournemouth last week isn’t as bad as originally feared.

“I spoke to Jake on Wednesday and he is hopeful that it’s not as bad as he first thought,” said Simkin.

“He’s not sure of the timescale but it won’t be anywhere near what he first thought.

“There is still a chance we will see him sooner rather than later.”

Magpies: (from) Walker-Harris, Case, Colmer, Jermyn, Smeeton, Lanahan, Crittenden, Gleeson, Tennant, Losasso, Way, Byerley, Twyford, Munday, Brooks, Godfrey, Rolls