ADIE Mings staked his claim for a Chippenham Town starting spot with two goals as the Bluebirds romped to victory at Dr Martens Eastern Division side Newport IOW on Saturday 27 July.

The burly striker helped himself to first half brace and set up trailist Dave Godley for the third as the visitors swept aside their hosts to record their third straight pre-season victory.

Steve Tweddle recovered from the injury he collected in the midweek friendly at Corsham to fire his first goal of the summer and Chippenham's fourth of the afternoon after half time.

Tweddle, Godley, Matt Rawlins and new boy Martin Paul are all competing with Mings for a place up front on the opening day of the campaign, but the former Basingstoke forward is feeling confident after Saturday's double strike.

Said Mings: "It was superb. I've worked really hard in pre-season and I feel a lot sharper at the moment.

"Last year I missed pre-season and was out suspended and was trying to play catch up after that. This year I've lost some weight and am up there challenging with the rest of the strikers.

"We've got four good strikers here and it is any two from four really. It is the same at Liverpool or Leeds and you need to have the competition. We'll just have to see what happens.

"I can still score goals and have managed 17 in one season at Southern League Premier level before."

The trip to the Isle of Wight was partly used by manager Tommy Saunders as a team-building exercise and Mings is delighted with the way the ten summer signings have blended into their new surroundings.

He said: "The main thing was we played really well before enjoying ourselves afterwards.

"We seem to have a really good team spirit. All the lads who have come in have bonded well and there are no big time Charlies. We are just getting on well and looking forward to the new season. We'll be nobody's favourites, but what we will be is hard to beat and I think we'll surprise a few teams."

Newport were one of four sides relegated from the Dr Martens Premier Division at the end of last season and will be replaced by Chippenham this term.

They were beaten 6-1 by Swindon Town a week previously and their drubbing at the hands of the Bluebirds completed a miserable brace of matches against Wiltshire opposition. Saunders was happy after the result at Newport.

He said: "I was pleased with Adie getting a couple of goals and was also pleased with him on Tuesday night when he came up against two of the best centre halves in the Conference.

"Once I get Martin Paul back and Dave Godley and Steve Tweddle fit again, then hopefully we'll be okay."

Paul, a former professional who played 30 times for Bristol Rovers in the mid-1990s, signed from Newport County for an undisclosed fee on Thursday night.

Since being released by Rovers in 1996, he has forged a reputation for himself as a feared striker at non-league level and blasted more than 100 goals in 200 outings for Bath City before moving on to Newport last summer.

The signing ends Saunders' summer-long search for a striker to replace James Bent, but stressed Paul will have to earn his place in the starting line-up for the big home game against Chelmsford on August 17.

He said: "I'm delighted to get Martin on board and he'll be available for the Basingstoke game a week on Saturday.

"He has a fantastic record but, if the other lads carry on playing like this, then he might have to bide his time before he gets into the team.

"Just because I've bought him and he is on good wages doesn't mean I'll play him. If the others carry on the way they have been doing, then they deserve to be in the team."