CHICKERELL United boss Steve Coward is ready to take his club back into the Dorset Premier League after missing out on promotion last term.

The Chickens took the decision to step down to the Dorset Senior League at the end of the 2012/13 campaign, moving back to their main base at the Stalls.

They were hardly out of the top three in Coward’s first season in charge, but a lack of consistency cost them the chance of silverware as Westland Sports took the title in May.

However, having added a number of new faces to his squad, Coward, pictured, is hoping that 2014/15 could be one to remember.

And if they do want to go back up to the Dorset Premier League and the Stalls doesn’t meet the criteria required, Coward says they would consider finding an alternative venue for first-team home fixtures.

The team played their games at Weymouth College until the financial implications resulted in that return to the Stalls last summer.

Looking ahead to the new season, Coward said: “Things are looking good and hopefully we are going to be strong.

“We’ve got everyone from last season and five or six new players including the likes of Joe Charles, Josh Burton, Steve Churchill and Liam Taylor.

“Last season we had to make a lot of changes to the defence but now we’ve got a solid back four and hopefully they will be there week in, week out.”

On the matter of the facilities at the Stalls being a potential stumbling block in a possible return to the Dorset Premier League, he added: “That’s something we’ve got to work on during the season.

“If the pitch doesn’t come up to specification then we would have to look into finding a pitch elsewhere.”

Chickerell join Portland United Reserves, Dorchester Sports and Balti House in this season’s Dorset Senior League, which doesn’t kick-off until next month.

The Chickens’ reserve team line up in Dorset League Division Two.