AMBITIOUS Eastleigh have swooped for three of the players who led Andover to the Jewson Wessex League title.

The full extent of the Ten Acres club's rebuilding plans became apparent yesterday when new manager Paul Doswell unveiled a bumper batch of 13 new signings and announced former Brockenhurst boss Cliff Huxford as director of coaching.

Three of the new arrivals - Vince Rusher, David Asker and Danny Barker - have been among the mainstays of a pedigree Andover side that have lifted two successive Wessex crowns.

The trio have been snapped up on three-year contracts, along with Bemerton Heath Harlequins' former Salisbury striker Rob Matthews, AFC Totton wideman Kevin Reacord, Winchester City left winger Martin Beck, Brockenhurst full-back Danny Steer and central midfielder Danny Woods, who has been bought from Bournemouth Poppies for a four-figure fee.

The busy Doswell has also prised the Kenna brothers, Warren and Stuart, from Bemerton, defender Stuart Salter from Totton and Hampshire under-18 hot shot Mick Sherry from East Cowes Vics. His other signing is former Basingstoke goalkeeper Carl Clayton, who has moved back down south from Crewe.

Earlier arrivals Chris White from Yeovil and Steve Thorpe from Sheffield Wednesday have also signed three-year deals along with existing Eastleigh defenders Lee Bright and Darren Curtis.

Woods is rated by Doswell as: "my big signing." Although his name will not ring many bells in this neck of the woods, the 24-year-old is highly rated down Dorset way, having trained and made reserve team appearances for AFC Bournemouth towards the end of last season.

Huxford, who captained Saints during the 1960s, will be in overall charge of coaching from the under-16s upwards, working alongside Doswell and his player/assistants White and ex-Saint David Hughes.

"I've been chasing Cliff a long time," said Doswell. "But he's been let down in the past and needed to know that what we said would happen at Eastleigh would actually materialise. He's very much a football man and adds a bit of experience to a young management team."