MANAGER Darrin Chutter admitted while he believed Dorchester Town Ladies would “love to play at a higher level”, the cost and time of making the step up is a huge hindrance.

The Magpies’ squad romped to the Dorset Women’s League title by six points this season, winning 17 out of 18 games and going 90 minutes away from completing the perfect campaign.

Having also won the title in 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14, the county town side have been a dominant force in women’s football in the county.

Quizzed on the side’s chances of promotion, Chutter told Echosport: “I think the Dorset League is probably as far as we are going to get, unless the FA change it around a bit.

“When I played men’s football, if you go up a division, you are still playing in Weymouth and Dorchester.

“With the women’s league you are going to Cheltenham and places like that.

“We worked out that with some away games, with a minibus, it would cost us more than £250. That sounds okay but sometimes you have to split that between 11 players. I know we have sponsorship, but it’s a lot of money to ask them for, as it is 16 or 17-year-old girls.

“They would all love to play at a higher level but it’s actually getting to the venues and playing. It’s the cost and the time involved.”