MAGPIES’ boss Steve Thompson has stressed the “urgent need” to find a striker as Dorchester continue their troubled search for a suitable number nine.

Dorchester have persisted with winger Aaron Rodriguez up front in recent games, while the likes of fellow wide man Tom Blair, midfielder Luke Winsper and back-up striker Alex Stafie have all been used.

Thompson revealed he has scouted a Bristol City development player but may miss out on luring the marksman to the Clayson Stadium.

He told Echosport: “There’s an urgent need to get a central forward in but I just can’t get one.

“I went to watch Bristol City (Monday) night, their development squad, to try and get one in there.

“I hear that Bath City are in for him now, so he’s not made that decision. We just keep losing out to other clubs. Forward is the one area that I absolutely need someone in.

“That’s where it is. Unless I find a player the results might not improve and might have a battle on where we’re battling in the bottom half of the table.

“If I do find that player then I think we can rise up the table.”

However, the return to fitness from a medial knee ligament injury of Ash Pope has boosted the Magpies, although Thompson feels there is too much responsibility on the teenager to “lead the line”.

He said: “(It’s) positive that Ash is fit again, but the burden shouldn’t be on an 18-year-old to lead the line.

“Weymouth have Ben Thomson, 28-29, and Brandon Goodship, 23-24 so it’s very hard to put the burden of leading the line on an 18-year-old boy.

“If you go round the clubs, there won’t be many that are doing that.”

Dorchester fell to a third home league defeat of the season as Taunton Town prevailed 2-1, scoring twice from crosses.

On the Peacocks’ first goal, Thompson said: “Being ultra-critical we have to pick up in the box. It’s a good cross but again, that’s how the (Walton Casuals) goal was scored on Saturday.”

Commenting on their second, a mistake by goalkeeper Alhaji Sesay, the Magpies’ boss said: “He came, and he comes for most things. I think that’s the first thing he hasn’t got in five games.

“You live with that. He’s not the only one to make a mistake. First goal you might say the centre-backs should have been picking up from a cross because we were back, it wasn’t like we were caught on the counter-attack.”