DORCHESTER Town centre-back Ieuan Turner has revealed how a loan spell at Bournemouth Poppies has helped prepare him for the rigours of Southern League football.

Turner, who captained Dorchester’s under-18s to an historic treble last season, played 33 times for Poppies as they finished 17th in the Wessex League Premier in 2022/23.

He also played eight times for the Victoria Park club in 2021/22 and made his senior debut last season for Dorchester in the Dorset Senior Cup.

Added to that, he appeared 19 times and netted seven goals for the Magpies’ under-23s and scored ten more goals in 14 games for the under-18s.

READ MORE: Plymouth Parkway 2-0 Dorchester Town - match reaction

His efforts earned him a first-team place at Dorchester this season and he has already flourished, playing 83 minutes of the 2-1 win at Poole against a high-quality attack after Jack Wright suffered injury.

Speaking to Echosport after being an unused substitute for the 2-0 FA Cup loss to Plymouth Parkway, Turner discussed his fledging career.

He said: “It’s been really good and the lads have been really welcoming.

“The biggest challenge has just been the intensity, everything’s sharper and everything moves quicker.

“You’ve got to know what you’re doing before you get the ball. The last two years playing in the Wessex Prem really developed me on the physical side of the game.

“I feel like that helped me coming into the Southern League with experience. Growing up I like to play with the ball on the floor and play out from the back.

“But going into the Wessex Prem for a couple of years, it gives you that experience of the big strikers, who just want to bully you.

“You get used to it and you’re able to use your body more. I love that side of the game and getting stuck in.”

Picking up on an impressive performance at Poole, where he formed a youthful centre-back pairing with Jordi Foot, Turner revelled in the occasion.

“It was brilliant seeing the travelling fans,” he said.

“They were loving it and really helped the boys on the pitch. We set out well, we knew our jobs and everyone was perfect.

“I think I did all right, I covered my man well enough and we were able to get the three points.”

Asked how big a part his efforts with Dorchester under-23s and under-18s will play in his future career, he said: “It’s massive, even with the facilities.

“If you’re on that pitch week in, week out you can get the ball down and play and everyone’s comfortable.

“I can’t speak highly enough of last season, all the coaches and the players involved, it was just brilliant.”

Turner was put through his paces following the Parkway game, along with fellow centre-half Louie Slough, as the duo push for regular minutes.