DORCHESTER Town defender Neil Martin has praised the added competition to the Magpies squad, saying he “thrives” on the challenge.

Since the turn of the year, Craig Laird has introduced a number of new additions to the team, and Martin insists it can only bring good things.

He said: “The players that Craig has bought in have already had a big effect on the team. They aren’t coming in for the sake of it, they’re coming in because they’re good players. It’s good for the team because it encourages people to fight for their positions and when you’ve got good competition for places it means everyone will play their best.

“I thrive on the competition. As soon as I left school I went into full-time football with Exeter, so it’s something I’ve always been used to. You’ve got to try and train the way you play.

“I’m the kind of person who puts the work in, and if someone is in front of me, I want to beat them.

“In a way they’re your team-mate, but in another way they’re your opposition because they want to play in your position.

“It’s going to be hard for the young lads but it’s a learning curve for them.”

Craig Laird has been working hard to try and instil a possession-based style of football into the team, and Martin think it will pay dividends come the start of next season.

He said: “The way he likes to play football is the way I like to play, in terms of playing out from the back and playing through the team.

“It’s frustrating for him because the way he wants to play is difficult with the state of the pitch, and things aren’t going to happen overnight, so he’s building more for next season.

“The boys that we have at the moment are capable of playing in the way that he wants to play, but it’s going to take time.

“But when it comes to the start of next season I think we’ll be a well-drilled team. We’ll get a good pre-season under our belt and go from there.

“He’s a great manager and a great coach and he knows what he’s doing.”