GRAHAM Kemp will accept the offer of a two-year contract to remain as manager of Brockenhurst.

But whether he can keep veteran striker Jason Lovell on board with him at Grigg Lane remains to be seen.

"More than anyone in the Wessex League, Jase is his own man," smiled Kemp after watching 37-year-old Lovell roll back the years with a four-goal flourish in Tuesday's 6-1 defeat of Downton.

"There's nothing I can say to convince him to play next season. Only he can decide that.

"He'll probably leave it until the last game and promise to tell me by such and such a date whether he's coming back or not.

"He said he wanted one more crack at playing at this level and I know he's enjoying it here.

"He's scored quite a few already and if he ends up with 28 or 30 goals maybe he'll fancy it again.

"We've had seven-day approaches for him from Downton and Totton and he's turned them both down. I think it's fair to say Jase is here purely because I am. I don't even have to ask him if he's going somewhere else because I know he won't, but as for next year, I don't know."

Lovell, whose distinguished non-league career has included stints with Wimborne, Salisbury, Havant and Bashley, may be a law unto himself off the pitch but, on it, he sets a shining example to Brock's young guns.

Kemp laughed: "You'll never change Jase. He does his own warm-up, he goes outside and has a fag after a game and he's always the last one to leave the bar.

"As a player, he's still exceptional. His second header against Downton was textbook. You can see the younger lads looking at him and thinking what a great player he is. The lads learn so much from him."

Kemp's offer of a managerial contract came on a rare visit to a committee meeting on Monday night.

He doesn't normally get involved in club politics but said: "I went along because I felt the whole club had gone off the boil. Results had gone down which affected morale and there was a lot of criticism placing extra weight on the players' shoulders.

"I was offered a two-year contract - a non-paying contract, I should add - and was assured by the committee that they want to move forward and would let me get on and manage.

"Afterwards I was buzzing and maybe that rubbed off on the players against Downton."

Kemp will be looking for a repeat performance away to another of the basement sides, Alton Town, tomorrow.