By James Gray
Dorchester Town make the short trip along the A35 to face Dorset neighbours Poole Town on Tuesday (7:45pm KO) in the Southern League Premier South.
The match will be the first of two local derbies for the Magpies in a matter of days, and will also see Dorchester boss Tom Killick plus a number of his squad return to face their previous club.
Both teams come into the match on the back of positive weekend results, which saw the Magpies win 2-0 away at Hanwell Town and Poole dish out a 6-0 home thrashing to Weymouth. It doesn't get much bigger than a derby fixture under the lights, so, if you can, please do get yourself down to the game to support the Magpies!
Here's everything you need to know ahead of Dorchester's visit to Poole.
Poole In Brief
Founded: 1890
Nickname: The Dolphins
Stadium: The BlackGold Stadium
Capacity: 3,100
Playing Surface: Grass
Ones To Watch
Former Magpie Shaquille Gwengwe has made an excellent start to his time at the BlackGold Stadium, where he is currently Poole's leading goalscorer (eight) in the league.
Harvey Slade is another name for Dorchester fans to keep a close eye on, with the midfielder delivering some imperious performances for the Dolphins this term. This includes last Saturday, when he was named man of the match in Poole's 6-0 drubbing of Weymouth.
The Gaffers
Joe Lea and Pat Suraci were appointed joint-managers of Poole last January, steering the Dolphins to safety from relegation in their first season. The duo had previously enjoyed successful management spells at Petersfield Town and Gosport Borough, taking the latter to the Southern League Premier South playoffs.
Previous Meeting
Last April, Dorchester beat Poole 3-2 in front of a bumper crowd of 2,644 at the Avenue Stadium - a result that would prove pivotal to the Magpies finishing the season in the playoff positions.
Matt Buse had given Dorchester an early lead, only for Ezio Touray to score either side of half-time to turn the game on its head. However, Dorchester equalised shortly afterwards, courtesy of a Marcus Daws header, before Olaf Koszela drove home a penalty to seal a memorable derby win.
Read Neil Walton's full match report from that day here!
Form Guide
Magpies - WLLWW
Dorchester are unbeaten in their last two matches, following wins over Bideford AFC and Hanwell Town, in which the Magpies have scored a combined six times and conceded none.
Dolphins - DLWWW
Poole have lost just once so far in the league this season and are riding the high of a 6-0 thumping of Weymouth last Saturday. Prior to that, the Dolphins had recorded back-to-back away wins over Yate Town and Tiverton Town.
Team News
Killick should have a near fully fit squad to choose from for the trip to Poole. Dorchester's only injury concern remains defender Jack Dickson, who has been absent from first team action since August's FA Cup win over Slimbridge AFC.
Match Information
Poole have announced that Tuesday's match will be segregated and that there will be one turnstile available for away supporters to enter from.
Dorchester supporters have been allocated the North West Corner of the BlackGold Stadium, and will need to enter via the Palmer Road turnstile in that corner for the game.
Away supporters are not permitted access to the clubhouse bar, but Poole have acquired a temporary event licence, which means there will be a temporary bar made available within the allocated away fans section.
Food as well as soft and hot drinks will also be made available, and additional toilet facilities will be put in place for the game.
Further matchday information can be found here.
Admission Prices
Dorchester supporters making the trip to Poole can purchase their match tickets in advance now via the Fanbase app here. Prices are as follows:
Adults: £14
Concessions: £9
Under 18s: £6
Under 13s: £2
Travel Information
Supporters Coach: The club is running a supporters coach to Poole, which will be departing the Avenue Stadium at 6pm. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here for just £5.
By Car: Poole operate limited on-site parking and supporters are therefore encouraged to look at alternative parking options. These include Poole Stadium, town centre car parks and Stanley Green / Fleets Lane industrial estates.
By Train: The nearest train station to the BlackGold Stadium is Poole, which is roughly a 15-minute walk.