Luke Roberts: Tom Killick to show patience with injured star

The former Poole Town ace, who Killick has previously credited as being the best player to have worked with him at the Dolphins, suffered a setback with a hamstring injury.

It comes after more than three years out of the game with serious knee injuries before AFC Totton took a chance on him.

After his spell with the Stags did not work out, Roberts joined Dorchester and slowly progressed his workload while with the Magpies’ under-23s.

READ MORE: Bracknell Town v Dorchester Town - match preview

And he has made three starts for the young Magpies, scoring once, mixed with several appearances on the first-team bench.

However, his injury setback came in the 1-1 draw at Hanwell, just 13 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

Quizzed on the health of the attacker, Killick told Echosport: “I think sometimes it’s the nature of the beast when you have had such a long-term absence.

“It’s been pretty much three years since he last played. You don’t often get a period of that significance. Someone with a cruciate injury you’re looking at a whole season.

“Where you look at someone who’s had three years, or whatever it’s been, you will often get niggly injuries.

“He has to be positive, and we have to, in that the main thing is that it’s nothing significant and may be some niggling stuff before he can get himself back on track.

“He just has to keep going. He is back in a football environment and back playing games. If we have to wait three weeks for him, we have to wait three weeks.

“With Luke, anything we can get from him between now and the end of the season is almost a bit of a bonus.

“Where he’ll come into his own is probably next season when he’s had the benefit of a proper pre-season under his belt with fixtures.

“It’s almost like it’s bonus territory for him and us if he can get some performances and game time between now and the end of the season.”

Dorchester travel to Bracknell Town today (3pm).