DORCHESTER boss Craig Laird has praised the impact of his loan signings after they all but helped secure the club’s future in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division.

The manager confirmed that following Ollie Mehew’s departure from the club last week, Lewis Powell and Jordan Williams would also be returning to their parent clubs following the end of their loan spells, and Laird was grateful for their contribution in the team’s fight against the drop.

He said: “I’d just like to say thank you very much. Hopefully it’s been a learning curve for them and I’m sure they know they have a long way to go to reach their final destination of where they want be.

“I hope we’ve educated them a little bit more and they now know that three points on a Saturday is massive, and they have to play for any manager that they find themselves playing for in the future.

“I think people forget that they’re just 18 years old. We have a relatively young side, and they’ll go back to their clubs physically and mentally stronger people.

“They’ve helped to keep us up this season, along with the other lads, and hopefully they’ve enjoyed their experience with us and go away better players.”

The Magpies return to action on Saturday at Biggleswade Town in encouraging form, as they look to continue their run of four wins in seven league games.