DORCHESTER Town manager Craig Laird is excited by the prospect of stepping into the dugout at the Avenue for the first time, but insists his side will be up against it when they battle in-form Banbury United tomorrow (3pm).

Laird, who was set to meet and work with his players last night for the first time since taking the job, will organise his team to take on a Puritans’ outfit that are flying at present, with 13 points coming from their last six league games.

“If there is a team that you probably wouldn’t want to play, who pass the ball really well and are very good – it is Banbury,” Laird told Echosport.

“It will be very tough. With the players that have already left the club and, with some carrying injuries, it will be a tough game to get something from.

“But there is a good spirit in the club and there are some good lads left, hopefully we will get a good performance from them. It will be an honest one and, hopefully, they will give their best, which is all we can ask.”

Laird was unable to get to Basingstoke to take a watching brief on his side’s resolute 1-1 draw on Monday, but having spoken to chairman Matt Lucas along with Stuart Heath and Nathan Walker, who took charge for that game, he was able to gather some good information.

He added: “They gave me a good run down and, from the three of them, I managed to get a fair picture of the game.”

The former Weston-super-Mare boss has also started putting the feelers out in a bid to bolster his squad for the rest of the campaign.

“We will hopefully have some new players coming in by the end of next week,” he added.