DORCHESTER have lost three of their last four games but it's 'nothing to be dramatic about,' insists Tom Killick.

The Magpies boss has been speaking ahead of the club's trip to in-form Bracknell Town on Saturday.

After back-to-back defeats against Swindon and AFC Totton, and a recent 3-0 defeat at home to Hanwell Town, the Magpies have been going through a tricky spell of late. 

However, the experienced Magpies coach is not concerned by the slight dip in results.

When asked about the team's recent defeats, Killick said: "I don't want to get too despondent about things.

"We beat Plymouth, then lost to AFC Totton, but we certainly created chances and it wasn't a bad performance and then Swindon, again it was not a terrible performance, we were just not incisive enough but by the same token Swindon were the home team and we restricted them.

"So, it is nothing to be dramatic about, I still have belief in the team and there will always be bumps in the road.

"But we can't let these difficult times become extended so the result against Swindon has put pressure on us in the short term."

That short term reality is a gap opening up to the top three teams in the table, which includes Merthyr, Totton and Gloucester, who are all on 31 points - nine points clear of sixth placed Dorchester.

Killick is all too aware of how the league is developing and believes that the club are coming into a crucial period of their season.

It includes Gosport, league leaders Merthyr, fifth placed Walton & Hersham, Taunton, Hungerford, Tiverton and Dorset rivals Wimborne before Christmas.

Then on Boxing Day, Killick returns to his former club as the Magpies face another Dorset side in Poole Town.

He added: "It's a very key period now if we are going to challenge this season. 

"There is a gap opening up to those top teams and then there are several teams all bunched up, and we are part of that chasing pack."

To kick off that key period will be Bracknell though a team who are in good form and have lost just once all season.

On Bracknell, Killick added: "They have had a lot of draws but have won a lot of games too.

"they had a change of manager early in the season and have been a powerful team over the years and still have the nucleus of that.

"It's a big challenge bu that is the competitive nature of this league."

Killick will be without Shaq Gwengwe who is serving the second of a four game ban but Will Spetch is expected to return to the squad.

Kick off at the SB Stadium is at 3pm on Saturday, November 9.