DORCHESTER Town assistant-manager Trevor Senior has revealed the club is expecting to welcome five local players to the club next season.

While not officially confirmed, the players have given Senior their word that they are committed to joining the Magpies.

The five players in question are Chris Clarke, Jamie Beasley, Ed Bastick and Max Buckler from Portland United, together with Jamie Symes from Dorchester Sports.

Senior told Echosport that the new recruits are all “good enough to play” at Southern Premier League level.

He said: “All five are committed and will turn up at pre-season.

“We’re trying to get a local feel at the club. There are players around here good enough to play at the level we are playing at.

“As far as I’m concerned the five players are good enough for this level and it will give us competition for places. They understand all that and they are looking forward to it.

“All five of them want to play at as high a level as they can, and there’s no better way of doing that than by coming to Dorchester,” he said.

Commenting on each of the quintet, Senior said signing players with good pace was a top priority.

“Chris Clarke, a left-back, was the quickest player when I was at Bridport. He’s got a good engine, gets up and down, has a good left foot, wins his headers and gives 100 per cent every week.

“Jamie Beasley is a left-winger and can be a match winner, he’s got a good strike on him. Sometimes he can be unpredictable but on his day he’s more than capable of winning a game for us. He brings a lot to the table,” Senior said.

“Jamie Symes is a very good all-round footballer in central midfield. I played him in the Dorchester under-18s when he was 14 and Blackpool had a chat with him but it didn’t work out.

“Max Buckler is a very good midfield player and definitely capable of getting the odd goal. He’s a good technical footballer.

“Ed Bastick is a very quick, mainly right-sided winger, can play on the left too and gets crosses in the box. He obviously had that hernia injury last year at Portland but he’s fit now,” he added.

Senior also hinted at further additions for the county town club, saying: “We are hopeful of a couple more signings but nothing is definite at the moment.”