COMBINATION League leaders Dorchester Reserves are wrestling with a mounting casualty list ahead of tonight's crucial top-of-the-table clash with close rivals Holt United at the Avenue Stadium, kick-off 7.45pm.

And the irony of that is not lost on Magpies' manager Phil Simkin in view of Holt's controversial refusal to complete their scheduled visit to Dorchester earlier in the season.

"When they were supposed to play us they just wouldn't come because they said they couldn't get a team, even though it transpired that they then played a reserve team match the same night, and the league fined them £100," recalled Simkin.

"We would have had a much stronger side that night, now we have to play them with half our team missing so I suppose they will think they have timed it just right.

"But after losing at Bridport on Saturday we need to get a result to stay up at the top and we plan to do our best to see that they don't profit from what they did."

Andy Legg, who was stretchered off at Bridport with damage to medial knee ligaments after an accidental clash with the Bees goalkeeper, joined Jorge Diaz, Steve Moore and Mike Kelly on Simkin's long-term injured list and with the Magpies first team in action last night the opportunities for re-enforcements are limited.

But at least flu-hit Robbie Taylor and Dan McDonald should be fully fit again tonight and the Magpies also welcome back ex-Weymouth and Bridport attacker Chris Evans for his first start since he broke his ankle in a pre-season friendly at Lymington.

Dorchester Res: Elm, Toms, Newland, Poore, Taylor, Baines, Drake, Cornick, Evans, McDonald, Dovell, Rowland, Dunn, Steele.