The Dolly Blues boss is short on numbers in the back four after Iain Swan was ruled out with a knee injury.

And that showed in a 5-2 midweek UniBond First Division North loss to Skelmersdale United, a result they'll look to bounce back from as they host FC Halifax Town tomorrow.

Stimpson said: "The Skelmersdale game could have finished 12-8, for any neutrals who were there it must have been a cracker.

"What I'm short of at the moment is a leader at the back, someone who can organise and pull people around, and decide that sometimes the back row of the stand is the best place for a clearance.

"But there seems to be an epidemic of injured central defenders at the moment. I must have spoken to every manager in the North West this week who seem to have the same problems at the back.

"I'll be patient in my search, I'm not going to bring in someone who is average just for the sake of it, I can't afford to do that.

"Things should become a bit easier in a couple of weeks, players who thought they'd be starting the season in a team and haven't, will become restless and be looking to move on.

"We've got a tough match against FC Halifax tomorrow, they're one of the fancied sides for the title with the budget they've got, but I think we can get something from it."