GAFFER TAPES . . . Wootton Bassett v Ciren (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

GAFFER TAPES . . . Wootton Bassett v Ciren

9:08am Friday 1st August 2008

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WE put out a youthful team and it was a good exercise as a lot of people got some game time.

It was great for Mattie Williams to get his hat-trick and that first goal had the sort of quality you don’t often see at this level.

Robbo got a valuable 45 minutes plus and Harry Etheridge played the whole 90.

At times we played some good stuff, though I was disappointed with the two goals.

Our two new signings did well. Steve Davies was at times unplayable. There are a lot of defenders in the Southern League who are going to struggle with him. He’ll be a threat this season.

We just need to focus on what he does without the ball and I am looking forward to working with him.

He’s got more pace than Shax, though without quite the same power.

Ben Pugh is not just a left back. He could play left midfield as well and I want to see him in that position in pre-season.

He is very calm on the ball and uses it extremely well. And his throw-in is a weapon.

We did some one-on-one defending work in training and he was excellent.

We’re having a look at midfielder Ryan Shugar, who played in the Welsh League last season and with Newport County previously, before Julian Alsop was there.

He had work commitments which kept him in Wales last season but he now wants to play in England and matches around the M4 would suit him.

I remember him playing and scoring for Newport County in a pre-season game at Ciren when I was playing about four years ago.

He’s a bit behind the others in terms of fitness and I want to see more of him in the games against stronger opposition. There is certainly a bit of quality there.

Centre back Craig Curtis is briefly back from the States and is someone I played alongside a few years ago.

His US scholarship finishes at Christmas when he will be back full time and he is someone who interests me, as I think he has a bright future.

Tom Dingle had a quiet game when he came on in the second half. He will be involved again against better opposition on Saturday.

Fraser Digby has asked me to have a look at his son Josh, who took his goal very well but then unfortunately, had to come off with an injury.

He played for Devizes last year and has already been offered a deal by Thatcham Town, as well as scoring for Salisbury reserves in pre-season.

Lee Spalding will play his first on Saturday against Haverfordwest after his holiday and in the last three friendlies I want to be playing my first team.

We may try to organise another friendly to accommodate the squad players, while I am hoping to have one or two new triallists to play against Cheltenham Town next week.

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