MAGPIES’ boss Graham Kemp has spoken out over his decision to let striker Dan Cann exit the Avenue and head to Hungerford Town.

The club announced that the former Poole Town and Bournemouth Poppies frontman had parted ways with the Magpies late on Thursday evening, and although new manager Kemp admitted it was a tough decision to release the powerful forward, he felt it was the right move in the long run.

“It’s always a difficult conversation but he was a non-contract player so we weren’t really under any obligation to keep him, so I said to him that I would be releasing him,” the county town boss told Echosport.

“He came to the ground at training on Thursday night and said goodbye to the boys and we shook hands.

“He was disappointed and I’m disappointed too, it’s hard not to feel guilty but he has been around the league a long time, he made some phone calls and Hungerford decided to snap him up.“

Cann joined the Magpies from Poole Town back in May and regularly spearheaded the attack at the Avenue this term before his switch to the Crusaders.

But Kemp reassured the Dorchester Town fans that the decision to let the forward depart was made to reinvest in other areas on the field, not down to a cut in the club’s wage budget.

He added: “I said when I joined that I would be transparent to the committee, the players and the fans. There have been no budget cuts, the budget is the same as it was when I joined but it was all spent.

“I had a choice, I either turned around and stuck with Phil’s squad, which we have to be honest and say at the moment hasn’t been good enough, or I had to free up some funds.

“I felt that we lacked a bit of legs and we were a little bit one-paced as a side. I have brought in Charlie Davis who can get around the park well along with Sam Lanahan and Dan Smith.”

The Avenue chief is also keen to bring in another striker to add more firepower to the Magpies’ line-up, but will not rush to acquire the right figure.

“I am looking at one or two strikers but we have to be aware that a lot of them are going to be cup-tied for a start,” he added.

“I either have to find someone who can play in the FA Cup game or find the secret formula within the lads that I have got for that game.

“If we win that, maybe the chairman might give me a little bit extra but I don’t know, that’s all for the future.”