DARREN Powell is backing the quality of Wimborne Town’s squad ahead of Magpies’ first crack at Southern League football.

The newly-promoted Cuthbury outfit are bidding to make a successful step up after earning promotion from the Wessex Premier Division.

Experienced defender Ross Lloyd, 28, last week became the club’s second summer signing after joining from arch rivals Poole Town. He and fellow centre-half Darren Curtis have bolstered a Wimborne backline that lost brothers Nathan and Michael Walker, to Dorchester and Poole respectively, last season.

And speaking after the team kicked-off their pre-season training regime on Tuesday, assistant boss Powell revealed that more new arrivals were not on the immediate agenda.

He told the Echo: “We have got a few players training with us in pre-season. We’re having a look at a few and we’re taking stock of the playing squad. We’re not actively seeking anyone else at the moment.”

Giving his verdict on Magpies’ chances in step four, Alex Browne’s assistant added: “I think we’ll be a handful for quite a few teams. We have got five or six who were probably playing below the standard they can play in the Wessex League.

“Liam Green, James Stokoe, Kev James and Lee Chudy – the nucleus of the squad has played at that level (Southern League) and are more than capable of doing it again.

“I think the squad has shaped up quite nicely. We needed a couple of defenders and managed to get two quality additions in that department.

“We’re looking forward to getting through some hard work and getting the season under way.”