DORCHESTER Town’s Jon Vance is targeting a return from injury in time for the new season.

Vance, who has agreed to stay at the Magpies next season, was arguably one of the team’s most consistent performers since his arrival at the club, and although he faces a disrupted close-season due to a damaged knee, he is hoping to be ready for the opening weekend of the new season.

He said: “I had a brief chat with Lairdy (Craig Laird) and he wants me to stay, and I want to stay too, but at the moment I’m injured.

“I think I’ve torn my medial knee ligament so I’m hoping to be back for pre-season, but that could be a bit of a push.

“It’s a bit of a waiting game, but I’m hoping to be back for pre-season, or definitely for the start of the season.”

The midfielder was one of the more experienced members of the Magpies’ squad last season, and he is sure the experience of battling relegation will stand the club’s youngsters in good stead.

He said: “I think the young lads and the lads who came in on loan, it’ll help them in the future, for sure.

“Lairdy and Stuart Heath will have improved those youngsters, whether they realise it now, or in three or four years’ time.

“They’ll have learnt so much. They’ve had to battle, and fair play to those lads, there’s some big characters in our changing room and they’ve dug deep and done what they needed to do.”

But Vance is confident that after a full pre-season, the side will be in a position to play with more freedom.

He said: “With a fresh start we’ll pick up his style of play, and we’ll be one of the better teams to watch next season, because Craig’s a football man, and that’s what made me want to come there.

“We definitely won’t be in the same position as we were this year. It was frustrating because it felt like we shouldn’t have had that pressure on us.

“But that showed that we can battle when we have to battle, win when we have to win and produce when we have to produce, because we stayed up at the end of the day.

“I think we’ll need a few signings, but I’m sure that’s in the club’s plans anyway.

“Once the season starts I think we’ll definitely be one of the teams to watch.”