Bashley reserve team hot shot Kevin James has joined Wessex neighbours Lymington & New Milton.

The 22-year-old former Dell boy has signed a one-year-contract with a year's option at Fawcett's Field as new boss Ian Robinson forges ahead with a massive rebuilding job for next season.

James's scoring record in the Wessex Combination last season was nothing short of sensational. He finished as the league's top gun with 34 goals from just 14 appearances

But although he made the fringes of the Bashley first-team, the youngster struggled to get a look-in amidst stiff competition from Richard Gillespie, Danny Gibbons, Paul Sales, Stuart Hussey and Dave Wakefield.

Robinson, who had tried to sign James in his former managerial post with AFC Totton, said: "We feel he's a very useful acquisition for us. His scoring record is very impressive. I don't know if he'll be quite that prolific in Division 1, but I'm really looking forward to working with him."

Experienced midfielders John Bailey and Jimmy Sheppard have also moved across from Bashley's reserves along with ex-Totton full-back Robbie Walker and goalkeeper Mike Hookway, who shone for Bash in the Hampshire Senior Cup final.

Like Sheppard, former Brockenhurst boss Chris Collinge is helping Robinson acclimatise to his new surroundings and three of his old Brock players, Dave Knighton, Phil Stone and Danny Steer - latterly of Eastleigh - have also climbed aboard.

Robinson, meanwhile, has brought in two of his old Totton charges - former Fulham and Salisbury defender Darren Curtis and midfielder Ollie Shaw.

The Linnets' next signing could be a big one. Depending on how his two-week fitness assessment progresses with his old club, AFC Bournemouth, former Manchester United and Cherries midfielder Russell Beardsmore, pictured left, could be wooed out of retirement.

A former Dean Court teammate of Bailey's, Beardsmore was forced to quit the game because of a persistent back injury in December 1999 and has since been coaching at the Bolton Wanderers Academy.

But he recently moved back to Bransgore for family reasons and is anxious to secure another coaching role and possibly even play again.

Robinson said: "He's going to make a decision once his fitness assessment is over as to whether he just coaches or he plays as well. We'd like him to take over our youth development policy."

The signs are that Beardsmore's comeback plans are going well as he played for Manchester United in the Masters six a side recently.