Bucks to offer Karl Broadhurst a deal

AFC Telford United are ready to offer a deal to experienced centre-back Karl Broadhurst in time for the start of the Blue Square Bet North season.

Broadhurst, 30, played the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 2-0 win at Llanelli, operating as an emergency right-back because of injuries to Ashley Woolliscroft and Martyn Naylor.

And, with work commitments likely to rule out club captain Stuart Whitehead for the first game of the season, boss Andy Sinton will now move to seal a deal for former Hereford man Broadhurst.

"He's a little bit behind the rest in terms of pre-season training but he's a naturally fit lad," said Sinton.

"He played the full 90 minutes of Saturday and he surprised me in that his fitness was a little bit better than I expected.

"We'll get tomorrow's game at Hednesford out of the way first, but we'll sit down with him towards the end of the week and see where we can go in the short-term and then in the medium and long-term."

Meanwhile, Sinton declared himself satisfied by what he saw from his side against Welsh Premier League outfit Llanelli.

Goals from Phil Trainer and Danny Carey-Bertram sealed a deserved victory in the club's latest friendly fixture. "The lads did very well," he said. "They were a decent side - they were missing two or three first team players, but so were we.

"The back four and the goalkeeper were outstanding. Phil Trainer and Richard Davies did very well in the middle of the park, too.

"Richard's only a young lad but he did his chances of getting into the side no harm at all - he really showed what he can do. We missed a few chances which could have made the game a little easier, but there were encouraging signs."

By CHRIS HUDSON