SWINDON Supermarine boss Dave Webb is hoping that his club will reap the benefits of Dave Hockaday’s vast experience after the former Leeds United manager linked up with the Marine management team in an advisory role.

Former Forest Green Rovers chief Hockaday, who infamously spent just 70 days in charge of Championship Leeds earlier this season, was in Wales on Saturday to watch Webb’s depleted side suffer a 5-2 defeat at high-flying Merthyr Town.

Marine were also left to wallow in their misery after their team coach broke down, with the team not getting on the road in a replacement vehicle until around 8pm.

But away from his side’s transport troubles, the Webb’s Wood Stadium manager is looking forward to seeing Hockaday add his insight to Marine’s work on the training pitch.

“It has come as a bit of a surprise to have someone that has just managed Leeds United to come and work with a team at, with the greatest respect, our level,” said Webb.

“But we think that it’s a great addition for our football club. He lives locally and he’s taken an interest in the club. He’s obviously looking to get back into the pro game but this will keep him ticking over for a bit.

“From speaking to him, you can already tell just how much knowledge he has and I’m looking forward to seeing him working with Lee (Spalding, assistant manager) in training – hopefully we’ll start to see the benefits of it.”

Debutant Corey King and Harry Etheridge were on target for Marine but the visitors were put to the sword at Penydarren Park, with Kayne McLaggon netting a brace whilst Kris Leek, Ryan Newman and Guillermo Bauza were all also on the scoresheet.

Boss Webb was only able to field three substitutes, including his number two Spalding, and thinks that his team were always up against it in the midst of their injury crisis.

The Marine manager said: “Like I said in my pre-match comments, they should win the league and you can’t be going somewhere like that with a squad of only 13. Lee Spalding had to go on the bench and with the greatest respect to him, he’s 40-years-old and can’t be doing it against a team like that.

“When we scored to get it back to 2-1, you could hear the ground silence and the crowd get on their back a bit because they weren’t further in front. But they went and scored a few more goals.

“Eddie Stevens and Mark Flanagan both picked up injuries, so they’re two more that we’ll have to try and get back but we will have Josh Morse and Luke Hopper back next weekend.

“We’ve got a game at Bashley that we need to try and win and it’s just about trying to get as many members of the squad back fit as we can.”