AFTER their unimpressive Boxing Day draw with Bashley, Dorchester cannot afford another slip-up when they play their third consecutive game against relegation battlers at The Avenue Stadium tomorrow.

The once ambitious Sittingbourne travel to Dorchester having taken over the bottom spot vacated by Bashley as a result of the surprise Dr Martens Eastern Division point they took off the Magpies in Wednesday's 1-1 draw.

And while Magpies' boss Mark Morris knows that result was not the end of the world, another failure to get all three points from a side his men have already beaten 2-0 away from home would go down like a lead balloon.

"It was disappointing not to beat Bashley and we must be looking to kick-off another run of wins by beating Sittingbourne," said Morris today.

"We must keep up the pressure on Grantham at the top of the table- but like Bashley you can bet Sittingbourne will be no push-overs," said Morris whose side would have been going into tomorrow's clash as the new leaders had they taken all three points on Boxing Day.

"We must raise our game ten per cent higher than we played in the Bashley game and then we should be okay."

Morris felt his midfield men in particular were not at their best against Bashley and is hopeful that skipper Matt Lonnon will be fit to return after dropping out of the Boxing Day clash with flu.

"Fingers crossed it is only a bug that knocks you out for a couple of days because Matt is very important to the side," said Morris. "We certainly miss him when he doesn't play because he leads by example and is a great character to have around."

Morris also faces a decision on whether to re-instate Phil Andrews to his starting line-up after he came off the subs bench to snatch a superb late equaliser against the club who sold him to Dorchester in August.

"It's definitely something that is in my mind, but I won't be making a decision on that until I know what the position is with Matt Lonnon," he added.

Since goals from Mark Jermyn and Matt Groves sealed a 2-0 home defeat for the Brickies in September, the Kent side have appointed a new management team in Mark Beeney and Steve Nolan.

Beeney, who is also goalkeeping coach for Chelsea's Under-19 side, made 160 Football League appearances for clubs like Leeds United, Doncaster, Brighton and Gillingham while Nolan, like Beeney a UEFA coach, was previously manager of Dover's reserve side.