LEWIS Haldane has decided to stay at Yate Town.

Southern League Premier Division side Paulton Rovers made a seven-day approach for the former Bristol Rovers striker last week but he turned down the move after scoring the winner in Yate’s 1-0 FA Cup win at Cowes Sports on Saturday.

Haldane attracted a lot of interest in the summer after scoring 31 goals in his first season at Lodge Road having been forced to retire from professional football through injury and has found the net four times in six games so far this season, helping the Bluebells make an unbeaten start.

Manager Rob Cousins said: “He is happy and is staying at Yate.

“He likes the lads he is playing with and has respect for me and Meaks (Michael Meaker, assistant manager) and what we are trying to do.”

Yate have been forced to play four of their first six games in Division One South and West of the Southern League away, winning three of them and scoring 13 goals in the process to lie second in the table.

They return to Lodge Road on Saturday for a mouth-watering game which sees two of the three unbeaten sides in the league clash with Taunton Town, who are level with Yate on points, the visitors before hosting fifth-placed Wimborne Town next Tuesday (7.45pm).

Yate did not concede a goal in their first two home games but were not as convincing as they have been on their travels, winning 1-0 against Cinderford and being held to a goalless draw by Evesham, and Cousins is hoping his side will hit their stride for the upcoming double header.

He said: “We’ve been on the road a lot and it’s been so far so good but we want to make our home pitch a fortress and take what we’ve learnt away from home into our home games.

“You only need one goal to win a game. We know we have got to improve in certain areas but the players are working hard to rectify any problems we have.

“We’ve got two home games now so we’ve got to win those to stay in contention.”

Yate will face Southern League Premier Division side Dorchester Town at home on Saturday, September 13, looking to add another FA Cup scalp to their collection having knocked out four clubs from higher divisions in the last two years.

Cousins said: “It will be good to test ourselves against a team from the division above and see how far away we are from that level.

“They’re a well backed side and it’s going to be tough regardless of our form.

“In between we’ve got the league to concentrate on. To go through August unbeaten was very pleasing and it would be great to do the same in September.”

Jordan Rogers will be suspended for the game against Wimborne on Tuesday.