Conference South side Dorchester Town are expecting to field their first choice eleven when they play host to a Yeovil Town side at the Avenue Stadium tonight, kick-off 7.45pm. This is the Magpies' final home pre-season friendly, and although they are still looking at numerous trialists, not all of them may get a game tonight, Director of Football Shaun Brooks has told the Dorset Echo this may not be the right time to introduce them:
"I want to use the Yeovil friendly to get an idea of my starting 11. We've got just over a week and a half now until the season kicks off so it's important to look at what our best line-up is. Yeovil are a good side and I want it to be a competitive game. I don't think that making loads of substitutes will help that. It will be a similar sort of line-up to the one against Exeter with only a few changes. Everyone's looking forward to it, it will be a really good test for us. Teams from higher leagues undoubtedly play better football so it will be a good run out for the lads."
The Magpies are under new ownership after a summer takeover and that has led to the Dorset side spreading their scouting a little wider than normal. They have two Spaniards at the club, and striker Oscar Gonzalez and winger Josu Olaizola could be two trialists thrown into the game tonight to maximise their time in this country:
"They can both speak English which is already a good start. If they do impress in training then they could feature against Yeovil. They have been recommended to us by someone who knows the club well and knows what we are looking for. Josu is a 29-year-old winger and Oscar is a 29-year-old forward so they have a lot experience behind them but are also fairly young guys as well. It will be interesting to see what they can do."
Other trialists at The Avenue Stadium include former Yeovil Town left-back Jake Smeeton along with names such as Jones Awuah, Aidan Sainsbury, Sean Smith, Scott Sampson, Nathan Simpson and Ouzo Opara, although they may not feature tonight:
"I'm hoping to get a couple of games arranged behind closed doors so that I can have more of a look at the guys on trial who haven't played as much yet."
As for Yeovil boss Russell Slade, he is believed to be sending down a side based around those who did not clock up 90 minutes at Bristol City on the weekend. Hence this will in the main be those who came on as substitutes at Ashton Gate along with those who did not feature at all. Midfielder Justin Cochrane though could be the exception to the rule, with Slade obviously keen to make up his mind whether to offer the former Rotherham United man a contract at Huish Park. He will be training at Huish Park for the rest of this week, having impressed in central midfield against the Championship side.
The expectation is that Friday night's trip to Torquay United will feature a full strength Yeovil side, reverting back to the sort of line-up that featured against Bristol City.
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31 July 2007 : 
