THE main challenge for Chickerell chief Steve Coward this season is simple - win the Dorset Senior League.

The Chickens, who aren't set to begin their league quest until next month, came second in the division last term behind champions Holt United.

But with Holt now back in the Dorset Premier League alongside Balti Sports, who were third last term, Coward believes his side should be aiming to go one better this season.

He told Echosport: “I obviously want to win the league and get promoted. That's the whole idea of doing it. We have all got the same mentality and that's what we want to do.

“We feel as if we are a good enough side to go on and do it.

“Last year we didn't lose the league against Holt, we lost it in silly little games that we dropped points in.

“We have to try and learn from that this year and make sure those little slip-ups don't happen.”

The likes of Ross Boatswain, James Hansford and Matt Harvey have all been added to the Stalls club's squad, while Josh Burton has switched to Balti and, according to Coward, Dan Newnham has hung up his boots.

Chickerell, Dorset Senior Trophy winners last term, may also be missing Steve Churchill, whose wife has just had a baby, and striker Josh Why is close to finishing a course which could keep him out in parts.

Coward could hand first-team berths to several youngsters this term, some of which featured in their first pre-season test against Portland United on Saturday.

That, the first-team manager believes, is the club's main focus, despite still harbouring slight hopes of a return to the Dorset Premier League.

“We want to try and get the youngsters playing with our experienced players as much as we can to get them up to standard for the next couple of years,” he added.

“I would like to think we could sort something out by next year and maybe look at going in the DPL but where we are trying to progress with the young lads as well it's a case of 'do we really need to force it at the moment?'.

“Once we get that a bit nearer, maybe we can go a little bit deeper into that.”

Giving his assessment on the Senior League line-up this term, the Chickens chief claimed: “Poole Borough usually put a good side together and I'm not sure what sort of players Sturminster Marshall are going to draft in.”