YATE TOWN will be looking for an unbeaten January when they tackle North Leigh in the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West at Lodge Road on Saturday.

But within the squad, there is some good news as well as bad.

The good news is that the Bluebells have signed experienced goalkeeper Josh Dempsey from Larkhall Athletic who is more than likely to go straight into the starting line-up for the weekend’s fixture.

Dempsey was signed from local league football by Yate in 2009/10 before going on to try his hand at Chippenham Town in 2013 which he left for Bristol sides Cadbury Heath and Oldland before joining Larkhall.

However, he has not made an appearance for Bath-based Athletic, and Yate manager Craig Laird was more than happy to re-sign the keeper to his squad, with teenager Ben Reed having been holding the fort since Martin Horsell moved up to Hereford.

Laird said: “He is a good goalkeeper and he was not playing for Larkhall for some reason. We would have tried to sign him earlier if we had known he was not playing for them.

“There was a chance meeting and we asked the question. He will battle it out for a place with us with everyone else but Ben is still only 17.

“It would be difficult to have him as a number one as an experienced keeper sat behind him. Ben will be a good goalkeeper in time and he will get his opportunity but, at this moment, we need to have (Dempsey) as number one and Ben as number two.”

What is, though, given in one hand can be taken away with the other which means that Yate already seem to have lost the services, for the moment, of striker Lewis Haldane, just weeks after he re-signed from Frome Town.

The player has told Laird that he is unavailable for Saturday games due to work commitments but there is also an issue regarding kit from Frome Town.