DORCHESTER boss Callum Brooks expects the Magpies’ second pre-season friendly at Horndean today (3pm) to be another “notch up” in their preparations.

Brooks’ men disposed of Bridgwater Town 5-0 in their opening match on Tuesday, showing excellent fluency from midfield to attack in the first half especially.

Dorchester are set to field a shortened squad for their trip to the Deans, who ply their trade two divisions below in the Sydenhams Wessex Premier Division.

Brooks told Echosport: “We’ll go with a smaller group and obviously the core group will get more than 45 minutes. It will just be a notch up on (Bridgwater).

“I want them to really work hard and press without the ball so we tick the fitness box. We need to build up the match fitness so we’re going to run as much as we can within games.

“We want to see a real relentless press and we want to dominate possession and win the ball back as quick as possible.

“When we’ve got the ball, the same things we’ve seen (against Bridgwater) and Tiverton, we want to move the ball quickly and crisply but we also want to move it forwards.

“When we break lines and get players running forward I think we’re as good as anyone. We just want to be bright with the ball – work hard without it.

“What we’re asking all the time is players to display a positive body language whilst they’re playing – react positively to giving the ball away, pick your teammates up and create a family feel going forwards.”

Brooks also confirmed winger Aaron Rodriguez has taken a break from football for personal reasons.

“Aaron’s not training at the moment,” Brooks revealed. “He’s not playing – he’s found that he enjoyed a bit of time off and he’s stepped away from football for personal reasons.

“What I have done with Aaron is I’ve left the door ajar so if he feels like he wants to come back it’s only a phonecall away for him.”

Sam Lanahan (knock), Nick Hutchings and Ben Morris (unavailable) miss out but left-back Neil Martin and striker Tom Bath could play their first minutes of pre-season.