PAUL Doswell is backing Eastleigh's Robbie Matthews to take the Isthmian Premier Division by storm next season - even though he might have parted company with the towering striker earlier this summer.

Former Salisbury and Bemerton striker Matthews, pictured left, goes into tonight's home friendly against AFC Bournemouth's first team (7.45) on a massive high after scoring twice in Saturday's 2-2 pre-season opener against Gosport Borough.

Yet manager Doswell openly admits that if Eastleigh had succeeded in signing Winchester City's prolific marksman Andy Forbes, Matthews could well have been sacrificed.

Doswell admitted: "If we'd got Andy Forbes, one of our strikers would have gone and, at 22, Robbie would have been the most marketable. Nicky Banger's 33 and Paul Sales is 30 and James Stokoe has only just joined us."

Two seasons ago Matthews came close to clinching a contract with Saints after impressing in trial matches for the Premiership club, but last year was poor by his own high standards.

Doswell admitted: "He didn't progress as he should have done, but I've never doubted Robbie's talent or ability. All the players say they didn't realise how big and strong he is. He's 6ft 3in and must weigh 15 stone. He's built like a heavyweight boxer.

"He needs to believe in himself. If he had the confidence some of the other players have got, there'd be no stopping him. He's been flying in training and if he could play anywhere near as well as he did against Gosport on Saturday, clubs would be looking at him again. But if he plays like he did last season, no one would take any notice."

Ex-Saints and Cambridge United right-back Phil Warner has signed a two-year contract for Conference outfit Aldershot Town after leaving Eastleigh on a free transfer.

Doswell said: "I'm really pleased for Phil. This is exactly what he needed. He was a world beater for us in training, but he couldn't get his head round the level we were playing at."

The signing of former Winchester City skipper Danny Smith has put another question mark over veteran midfielder Taffy Richardson's Eastleigh future.

Richardson, 37, picked up a calf strain during his only summer training session with Eastleigh, but he turned out for his old buddy Tommy Killick in Poole Town's 3-0 friendly win over Salisbury City on Saturday - Lee Manning, Leigh Cornick and Paul Maloney the scorers.

Killick clarified: "Taffy was in the area and he played for us with a view to perhaps joining us for the coming season. I can't say any more than that at the moment."

Isthmian Division 1 outfit Fleet Town are monitoring Richardson's situation.