STRIKER Jones Awuah has turned down the Magpies' initial contract offer while James Rowe's future hangs in the balance as manager Shaun Brooks aims to build his squad ahead of next season.

The Dorchester boss, who appointed Alex Browne as his new assistant on Wednesday, has ten players signed on for life in the BGB Southern Premier Division but faces an anxious wait on last season's top scorer.

Brooks said: "We are still in talks with Jones. We made him an offer of a contract but he's asked for a little bit more than the offer we made.

"If we can find some middle ground then fantastic because he's a player we'd like to keep, he's a good character and scored around a third of our goals last season.

"Jones is an asset to us but we have a budget to work within, so it's about trying to find a middle ground. We want him to stay and he wants to stay but he's got a family to support."

And the future of Rowe looks even more uncertain. Brooks added: "I think James will end up playing part-time football, he knows he won't kick on into League football, but I'm not sure yet if he'll be at this club."

Another player still in talks with Dorchester is goalkeeper Francisco Ramos, who kept five clean sheets in 14 appearances last season.

Brooks said: "Chico is talking to other clubs as well as us and we're talking to other keepers as well so we'll see what happens."

But the county town boss is hopeful of securing some new signings in the near future.

He added: "We're in talks with about four or five players but those players are in the driving seat because they are talking to lots of clubs.

"If we can get the players I want on top of what we've already got then we will have a strong side next year. I am looking for those a bit closer to home as well.

"I want to get a balance of experience but also continue to buck the trend by developing younger players. We do need experience but we still want to work with younger players who are committed to getting better."

Following a season of huge disappointment, which saw the Magpies relegated from Blue Square South after finishing 21st, Brooks is determined to see a reversal in fortune.

He added: "The past season was difficult for lots of reasons, but the bottom line is that we didn't win enough games. Hopefully we'll start on an upward trend and win more games next season.

"I can't wait for the new season, ever since the last one ended. We finished okay but nothing hurt Alex Browne, Eddie Mitchell and myself more than getting beat and being relegated.

"The pressure will come from that which we put ourselves under, and Eddie's drive to make the club work, because we want to be successful. Last year was horrendous for us.

"The lads battled hard for a year and I'm sure we'll be in good shape next season."

* The Magpies have arranged a friendly with Portland United at Grove Corner for Tuesday, July 22 (7.45pm), while the arranged home date with AFC Bournemouth has been switched to Tuesday, July 29 (7.45pm).

* Cambridge City are expected to join the Magpies in the Southern Premier after losing their appeal against relegation on the grounds that their Milton Road home wasn't up to the required standard - handing a reprieve to Weston-super-Mare.