DORCHESTER Town manager Mark Jermyn is putting his family first ahead of the Magpies’ trip to Cinderford Town tonight (7.45pm).

The boss’ wife was due to give birth to their second child last Thursday, however she is now overdue.

Mark Jermyn was on call during Saturday’s 2-0 defeat over Kettering Town at the Avenue and he won’t make the two-hour trip to Gloucestershire with his side to face the Foresters.

Speaking about his absence, he told Echosport: “Football is important to me but my family is more important.

“There’s no way I am going to risk missing it (the birth) and I want to be there for my wife.”

This means assistant player-manager Nick Crittenden and coach Stuart Heath will be taking charge of the side at the Causeway Ground where there will be some changes to personnel.

Jermyn added: “We’re going to be stretched tonight. It’s going to be a hard task and I’m hoping that we will have a clearer run.

“We’re going to have to be disciplined and hard to beat.

“They were 3-0 up but lost 4-3 against Hitchin so they have a bit about them.

“But, to lose 4-3 they have something wrong. I will try and do my homework before tomorrow’s game.

“Stuart and Nick have plenty of experience and I fully trust them and I will be leaving it to them.”

After the loss on Saturday, Jermyn feels their test against the newly-promoted side will be a more accurate reflection of his side’s capabilities.

Reflecting on Saturday’s game, he said: “I thought the midfield was good and we stretched them.

“We didn’t create many opportunities but there a good team.

“Against, what we feel, lesser opposition we can get results.

“I wouldn’t say Cinderford are lesser opposition. They are riding a crest of a wave after being promoted. I would see them as new to the league but I don’t know a great deal about them.

“We’ll be away from home and we will be hard to beat.”

He added: “It is a game that we should finish, if not on top, then with at least a point.”

With rotation set to be happen for the midweek game, Jermyn wants his squad players, who have not had many minutes throughout pre-season or on the opening day, to step up and prove a point.

He explained: “I think they’ve shown in pre-season they are capable.

“They’re working hard and if they grasp the opportunity then they will be playing on Saturday.”