The versatile defender, who can also play in midfield, first joined Weymouth two years ago.

But after an unsuccessful trial at Blue Square Bet Premier outfit Wrexham this summer, Mawer returned to the Bob Lucas Stadium on Saturday for the second half of a pre-season friendly with Dorchester – which the Magpies won 3-1.

And Terras’ boss Ian Hutchinson hopes to liaise with Mawer later today with a view to completing a deal for the 24-year-old.

He said: “Cameron was going to start but got stuck in traffic and we all know what that’s like in the summer.

“It was good to see him, we’ll speak to him today and see if we can come to some sort of arrangement.

“He’s been here before and knows the place, he’s well received down here and he’s got a good attitude.

“Hopefully something will happen as he’ll give us that extra bit of experience and steel.”

Trialist winger Matteus King was handed a first opportunity to impress at the weekend and he succeeded by setting up Sam Charles to head home the opening goal.

However, ex-Bath City midfielder Lee Collier, who impressed in a 1-0 win over Hamworthy United last Tuesday, was absent for the visit of Dorchester.

Hutchinson added: “Matteus put in a beautiful ball for Sam Charles’ goal, he’s a young lad, he showed glimpses of what he can do and we’ll have another look at him.

“Lee had a coaching course which he couldn’t get out of, we’ll keep in contact with him so it’s not dead in the water.”

The Terras were the better side in the first half of Saturday’s derby and led 1-0 at the break through Charles.

However, the Blue Square Bet South visitors improved after the interval and claimed bragging rights thanks to two free-kicks from dead-ball specialist Ryan Hill and a header from ex-Terra Stuart Douglas.

Reflecting on the defeat, Hutchinson said: “I’m bitterly disappointed and I hope the players are too. I had a few choice words to say in the dressing room afterwards, as we were blown away towards the end and it was men against boys.

“Dorchester were physical but that’s what we’re going to come up against week in, week out. We’ve got to toughen up and get wiser.

“You never like to get beat by your local rivals so I’m hurting slightly, and I’ve told the lads to go away and have a good think about it.

“It’s a massive learning curve for us. There were positives to come out of the game, we were on top for large parts of it, but football is played over 90 minutes.”

The Terras showed their intent from the off when, just 32 seconds in, Jules Emati-Emati shot over against his former employers.

Weymouth displayed plenty of passion in the first half – Bradley MaGookin picking up a yellow for a crunching challenge on former Terra Kyle Critchell – while the Magpies struggled to get going.

And it was the Zamaretto Premier Division outfit who drew first blood courtesy of Charles’ 13th-minute header – the home forward netting against his old side.

Hill’s deflected free-kick in the 25th minute came back off a post before the same man and Critchell also entered Chris Brokenshaw’s notebook.

Another set-piece from Hill was well held by Tom Manley but it was the hosts who entered the half-time interval the happier of the two sides.

Dorchester made a host of changes for the second period and began to exert their higher-league status.

Ryan Moss nodded straight at Manley while at the other end ex-Magpie Simon Rad-cliffe headed narrowly wide.

But then came the hammer blows as Hill dispatched a 20-yard free-kick before repeating the trick by beating replacement gloveman Martin Horsell at his near post.

And the scoring was complete when Douglas met Steve Devlin’s near-post corner.