HIT-MAN Dave Allen has vowed to help struggling Bashley climb the Zamaretto Premier table after rejoining the club from Dorchester Town for a “nominal fee”.

The striker was Bashley’s top scorer with 23 goals in 42 games last season and he also plundered 15 in 35 matches for the New Foresters in 2008-09.

But he left the Recreation Ground for the Avenue Stadium in the summer to try and further his career in the Conference Blue Square Bet South.

However, Allen has found himself back in Steve Riley’s camp after becoming one of five players, including another former Bash man Ryan Hill, forced to leave cash-strapped Dorchester during the past week.

Allen, who lined up alongside Hill for Bash at Weymouth on Saturday, said: “It’s great being back at Bash, even if it does feel a little bit weird it has happened so quickly.

“I’m looking forward to the rest of the season, just concentrating on pushing Bash up the table.

“Steve has also signed Ryan, which is great. He’s a high quality player, especially from dead ball situations, while Mike Spinney has also signed for us.

“Unfortunately, we’re out of most of the cups now, so we just have to concentrate on pushing up the league and getting as high as we can.

“Fingers crossed, I can help them do that.

“I’d also love to score a few more goals like I did before when I was there.

“If I’m not playing in such an advanced role, so be it. I will still do my best to push them up the table.”

Hill was Dorchester’s top scorer with four goals in 12 games before he left, but Allen, who had been on a one-year contract, failed to hit the target in nine appearances for Magpies.

He said: “It was a brief spell and maybe I didn’t get the run in the team I’d have liked. I had a nice little run earlier in the season and played well enough to keep my shirt.

“But I was left out for whatever reason and the move to Bash came before I got another chance.

“I supported manager Ashley Vickers with his decisions, although I’d liked to have had a few more chances to prove my worth.”

Allen, who saw Bash slip out of the FA Trophy after conceding an agonising last-minute decider from Sam Charles, added: “We played really well at Weymouth.

“But we conceded a sloppy goal straight after scoring and were disappointed to concede again with literally the last kick of the game because we’d have fancied our chances to beat them at home in a replay.”

Bash: Elm, Hill, Ferrett, Middleton, Whitley, Knowles, Hill, Dave Allen, Spinney, Smith, Dominic Allen (T Roberts, 82). Unused subs: P Roberts, Town, Byrne, Prodomo.