DORCHESTER Town manager Tom Killick has set his stall out for a Southern League Premier South play-off charge in 2024/25.

Constructing a run of 12 games unbeaten, the Magpies briefly had the top five in their sights until the penultimate weekend last season, eventually taking ninth.

In the 2022/23 campaign, Dorchester were positioned in the top five for much of the season before falling away in January, February and March.

But Killick told Echosport of the need for “proper objectives” as the Magpies look to continue their upward curve.

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“Next year, I want to be in and around the play-offs,” he said.

“I would rather make a statement to the players, supporters, everyone. I’m, more than happy to put myself up there to be shot at and put myself under pressure.

“That’s what I want, and I want the players to be tested. I want the players to know what the expectations are.

“I don’t want them to think it’s just a question of having an easy season and if we win, we win, and if we lose, we lose.

“We have got to have some proper objectives. The objective is to get out of the league. The players need to know.

“I’d rather make that statement from day one and if we don’t live up to it, then we should be criticised. I should be criticised, the players should be criticised.

“That’s the sort of environment we want, not where it’s just OK to be mediocre. We’ve got to come away from that a little bit.

“I’m hoping that we’ve made a start. Next season, I want that to be enhanced.”