DEVIZES Town chief Tommy Dryden believes his side’s Toolstation League preparations are on course after running the rule on a host of new faces in his opening summer friendlies.

Dryden, handed the job of restoring the Nursteed Road club’s fortunes after the departure of Paul Thompson and Kevin Whitbread’s decision to stand aside, shrugged off defeats to Zamaretto league Frome Town (4-0) and Shrivenham (1-0) to declare his satisfaction with progress.

The former Calne joint-boss said: “I’m not worried about the results. The last two games have been about seeing what we have got and what we need and they have been good for that.

“Some of the football we’ve played has been promising and I’m excited about the start of the season.

Devizes will open their First Division campaign at Chard on August 7 and Dryden will start to finalise a squad of 14-16 players in the next few weeks.

“There will be new faces, as there always are when a new manager comes in, but I’d like to have that nucleus of local lads because that’s important for the club and for the town.