JAMES Coutts admits he cannot afford to rest on his laurels despite regaining his place in the Magpies’ engine room.

It is no secret the 23-year-old favours a central berth in midfield, but the former Terra found himself pushed out to the right for much of pre-season and then dropped to the bench for the opening two fixtures of the new campaign.

Coutts was reinstated for the 2-1 defeat to Woking, albeit on the right wing, and has since held down his place in the starting XI, including a shift to his desired role.

However, despite two impressive displays in back-to-back draws with Havant & Waterlooville and Hamp-ton & Richmond, the club’s community officer is taking nothing for granted ahead of today’s trip to Chelmsford (3pm).

He said: “It’s been well-documented that I want to play in the middle. During pre-season I had to play out wide due to Nick Crittenden’s ankle injury and then I was on the bench for the start of the season.

“I wasn’t happy about it but I worked hard and fought for my place. I’m now back in central midfield but I know I can’t afford to rest on my laurels.”

The Magpies, although unbeaten in their last two games, are still searching for their first three-point haul in Blue Square Bet South.

They almost found it on Monday but a strike from Hampton’s Lawrence Yaku – less than a minute after Dorchester had taken the lead – put paid to those hopes.

Coutts added: “It’s been a frustrating start to the season. Monday night was the first time I had actually looked at the table in depth and when I saw that Bromley were top having won all their games it was quite sickening because they didn’t deserve to beat us on the opening day.

“In this league there is no one that we fear.

“We’ve now gone two games unbeaten and that is something we can build on and take confidence from going into today’s game at Chelmsford.”

* Weymouth defender Shane White, who endured a nightmare home debut against Bashley on Bank Holiday Monday in a 4-1 defeat, has left the club.

* Nigel Biddlecombe has joined the Terras’ board as an associate director.

The club is expected to add more names to the board in the coming weeks.