BASHLEY boss Dominic Cunliffe is targeting a double transfer swoop as he bids to solve his striker crisis.

Clive Makoni could complete a move to Blackfield & Langley after Bash waived a seven-day approach from the big-spending Sydenhams Premier outfit, while Leighton Speechley-Price has put pen to paper at Sydenhams Division One leaders Team Solent.

Cunliffe, appointed to the hot seat last week, was left without a recognised striker for Tuesday’s 5-0 loss to Evesham and the manager is keen to bolster ranks ahead of Saturday’s trip to high-fliers Larkhall Athletic (3pm).

He told the Daily Echo: “We’ve put in approaches to a couple of people who are in the Southern League, so if we get them it would be like-for-like.

“We’ve been given permission to speak to someone and he was due to train with us, so that bodes quite well. It’s very difficult when we’re not offering anything but that’s the challenge I took on.

“If players want to come back, the door is always open. Whatever the reason they leave, I always let them leave amicably, just in case they want to return at some stage.”

Bash’s Connor Cullingford is a doubt with an ankle problem he picked up against Evesham but recently-relocated full-back James Keith – on the comeback trail from injury – could feature.

The New Forest side are on a run of nine Southern South & West defeats on the spin and have not scored in the league since October 11.

Cunliffe is keen to improve that disappointing form and revealed he had set his team a ‘manageable target’ to inspire a turnaround in December.

He added: “The league stats don’t lie. We’re shipping too many goals and not scoring enough.

“I’ve set the lads a target that we want to achieve by the end of this month and, hopefully, we can achieve that, or even overachieve.

“It’s something manageable. Everyone wants to win and get that confidence going.”

Bash: (from) C Maher, Hammond, Coombes, O’Connell, D Maher, Hall, Aimson, Booker, Morris, Bosma, Cullingford, M Speechley-Price, Moore, Keith, Petty, Head, Lambourne.