DORCHESTER Town chairman Scott Symes revealed the Magpies have whittled their shortlist down to four names as the battle for the managerial hotseat intensifies.

Symes, who is seeking to replace former boss Callum Brooks, is keen to make an appointment to take the Magpies forward.

The view at Dorchester board level is that the Magpies are stuck in a rut characterised by an average league placing of 17th in the past five years, with Craig Laird and Steve Thompson among the managers unable to lift the club into the top half.

Speaking to Echosport, Symes admitted the candidates have higher-level experience in the fifth and sixth tiers of English football.

“Yes, that sort of level,” he said. “We’re speaking to people this week and we’ll see how those go. There’s four names and we received a lot of applicants ­– they’ve been varied.

“There’s people out there with a lot of ambition and people who we feel will be able to take the club forward.

“With the position we’re in in the league, we need to think about experience and how quickly they can galvanise the group, even though Jody (Rivers, temporary boss) has done a good job.

“If we find a candidate that clearly can add what we’re looking for, over and above the job that Jody’s doing, then I’m sure there could be (an appointment soon).

“Jody’s got the group together, he knows how they train and he can make his own decisions.

“We certainly don’t want to be rushed into a decision. We want someone to take this group on, but it’s got to be the right person.”