ROY O’Brien and Danny Clay are back with Dorchester Town while Brian O’Donnell has been drafted in to aid the caretaker-bosses.

The news comes as a major boost for the Magpies ahead of tomorrow’s Blue Square South clash with Havant & Waterlooville at the Jewson Stadium (3pm).

O’Brien and Clay were asked, along with several other players, to seek new employment by the club last week as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

Jamie Mudge and Wes Fogden joined Tiverton Town and Havant & Waterlooville respectively while Patrece Liburd, Helder Rodrigues and Nathan Peprah-Annan are believed to be on the lookout for new clubs.

But O’Brien and Clay have accepted chairman Eddie Mitchell’s offer of a return and could go straight into the squad for tomorrow’s game.

Mitchell said: “They’re both coming back which is excellent news. They were advised to look for other clubs, which we were going to help them with, but circumstances have changed and we’ve made a saving on other wages so I asked them back and they’ve agreed to come back.”

O’Donnell will take his place in the Magpies’ dugout to help the caretaker management team of Mark Jermyn, Kevin Hill and Gareth Stewart concentrate on their playing duties tomorrow.

O’Donnell, who turned out for Crystal Palace, AFC Bournemouth and Bristol Rovers in his playing days, is a former manager of Poole Town and Bournemouth Poppies and has offered his services to the county town side free of charge.

Meanwhile, creative midfielder Jon Docker could make his first appearance for the club since last April after he too offered his services for games without charge.

It is hoped that striker Ryan Moss, who missed the 4-0 defeat to Eastleigh last week due to an ankle injury, will be fit to lead the line against the Hawks otherwise the Magpies will be without a recognised striker for the second game in succession.

Havant & Waterlooville have their own injury problems with former Magpie Charlie Henry, top scorer Craig Watkins and ex-Terra Jack Compton – son of former Dorchester Town assistant boss Paul Compton – all expected to miss out and keeper Kevin Scriven rated as doubtful.

One man who is expected to be in the Hawks’ match-day squad, but with mixed emotions, is Fogden.

Mitchell added: “He’s able to play. He said to us that he didn’t really want to play because of divided loyalties but we told him we’d be disappointed if he didn’t play against us.”

n Former Magpies’ coach John Donoghue has joined BGB Southern Division One S&W outfit Winchester City as joint assistant-manager.