DORCHESTER coach Paul Dunne is keen to learn more about his players before setting them any targets for the new season.

Dunne’s charges host Midsomer Norton today (3pm) as both sides get their Southern Counties South campaigns underway at Coburg Road.

Since taking over from Martyn Peel, Irishman Dunne, who previously coached at Bournemouth, has been delighted with the attitude of his squad – but he still feels he needs to get to know them better.

“Training has been great and the lads have been really good since I arrived,” he told Echosport.

“They are a nice bunch of lads and have worked really hard, and that’s all you can ask of them.

“Having that combination is perfect for a coach and I’ve been delighted with how they have done this summer.

“I haven’t set any targets for the season yet as it’s very hard to judge where we are at the moment.

“I want to get to know the players more and then take it from there.”

Former centre Dunne, a teacher at Bryanston School, has been coaching for close to a decade now.

And while he is “really looking forward” to today’s game, preparations for the new season haven’t been ideal.

“We’ve had some issues with teams cancelling pre-season games, which has been disappointing,” he added.

“We’ve not had the chance to get a proper run out, but apart from that everything has gone really well.”