DORCHESTER Town have agreed a deal for Cardiff City defender Bradley Middleton, who is due to sign on-loan until the end of the season.

The Coca-Cola Championship side's 19-year-old reserve-team captain is not the only new face to arrive at the Magpies, former Cardiff and AFC Bournemouth central midfielder Tariq Khalil and ex-Lewes centre-back Matthew McEntegart are also training with the club.

Dorchester's assistant manager Paul Compton said: "We have released Mark Robinson, Hardy Pinto-Moriera and Nathan Simpson to make way for other players to come in.

"We have got to do things properly and we need to let a few go first before we can get new ones in. It is very difficult to get players down to the area particularly when you are looking for lads with experience but we are full-time and that should help.

"We have currently got two players in training with us at the moment. One is Matthew McEntegart who was at Forest Green Rovers and was a part of Lewes' squad that got into the play-offs and the other is Tariq Khalil who has been at Merthyr recently but was at Bournemouth last season.

"We have also just secured Bradley Middleton for the rest of the season. He is 19 and is Cardiff's reserve-team captain, and he is with us on work experience.

"He is a centre-half and our defence is one of the areas we are looking to strengthen as we can't afford to keep leaking goals as we have been."

Town pulled off the shock of the first round in the FA Trophy on Saturday by defeating holders and Blue Square Premier side Stevenage Borough 2-1 but they now have to wait until Boxing Day until they are in action again.

Compton, whose men have landed a home tie against Ebbsfleet United in the second round, said: "The lads showed a lot of commitment and passion on Saturday and we need to keep that going. That is why it is so disappointing that we have not got a game this coming weekend.

"The fact we have got a home draw in the next round of the trophy is great and you cannot really ask for anymore than that.

"However, we have got two important league games against Bath City on Boxing Day and Newport County coming up that we need to pick up points in and that is what we will be fully focusing on."