MANAGER Tommy Saunders has added further competition for places to his side's midfield with the signing of Gary Horgan from local rivals Bath City.

The 25-year-old impressed Saunders when he netted in City's recent victory over Halesowen Town at Twerton Park and signed for the Bluebirds following lengthy talks with the Saunders on Friday.

Horgan is excited about the challenge ahead and has signed a contract until the end of the season, with the option of another year should he impress.

He said: "I've signed for Chippenham purely because they are a club going in the right direction. They obviously had a slight blip on Saturday, but there is a lot of potential at the club. I know they are looking to move to a new ground as well and it is a case of onwards and upwards. I just want to be a part of that."

Hogan spent two years as a YTS player at Swindon Town before moving on to Swindon Supermarine and Hungerford Town in the late-1990s.

He has spent the past two seasons playing under new Devizes Town boss Ray Baverstock at Cirencester Town and moved to Bath on a non-contract basis in the summer.

But Horgan found first team chances limited at City due to the size of Alan Pridham's squad and is hoping his move to Hardenhuish Park will mean a regular place in the starting eleven.

He said: "While I was happy at Bath, I was fighting for a midfield place with five or six other people.

"Tommy's squad is slightly smaller, although competition for places is still fierce, and hopefully that will give me the chance to play a few more games."

Horgan came on as a 30th minute substitute for Jamie Gosling at Hardenhuish Park in August when a perimeter wall collapsed on the City midfielder.

He contributed to the Bluebirds' downfall in the dramatic clash, providing the cross for Dean Birkby's injury time winner, and was also in the crowd as his new club crashed to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Weymouth on Saturday.

Said Horgan: "Teams are obviously going to get off-days and hopefully I haven't brought the club any bad luck or anything like that."

Horgan goes straight into the Bluebirds' squad for the home game against Moor Green on Saturday and, although manager Saunders is pleased to have landed his man, he has promised to bolster his midfield ranks further ahead of the winter months. He said: "Gary is a good, strong lad and a good footballer. He'll come in and do well, but that doesn't mean the search is over for a midfielder.

"I think we need a nasty man in there and I've got an idea of one or two people. When the muddy pitches come into play we could be in for a bit of a battle because we do have people like Steve Brown and Mark Harrington who like to get the ball down and run with it."