Hodges impressed by loyalty

Source Rhod Mitchell, This is Cornwall LINK

Truro City manager Lee Hodges has praised the "unbelievable loyalty" of his players, after revealing that the vast majority of last season's squad are set to remain at Treyew Road for the new Blue Square Bet South season.

Despite virtually all of the players having to take sizeable pay cuts, it is expected that only a handful of players may move on.

Stewart Yetton, Adam Kelly, Les Afful, Joe Broad, Cody Cooke and a new signing, midfielder Ben Adelsbury, have all put pen to paper, with the majority of the rest looking near-certainties to commit themselves to the club for another season in the next few days. Former midfielder Dan Green is also set to return, after a spell at Falmouth Town.

Hodges has also been talking to 34-year-old right-back Warren Goodhind, who made more than 200 appearances in the Football League for Barnet, Cambridge United, Rochdale and Oxford United, before dropping into non-League football.

Last season, the London-based South African, whose parents live in Truro, played 14 games for Thurrock, who were relegated from Blue Square Bet South. Goodhind would be a direct replacement for Barry McConnell, who was not offered a contract by the club at the end of last season and has joined Weymouth.

"Warren is a solid defender who has played at a good standard," said Hodges, who knew Goodhind when they were both players at Barnet. However, there are doubts over whether strikers Martin Gritton and Barry Hayles plus left-back Scott Walker will be returning to the club.

Gritton, whose parents live in the Cornish city and who joined the club towards the end of last season, is keen to stay, but he is concerned that a new job in London could prevent him from doing so.

Hayles has been offered a new contract, but Hodges has not yet received the veteran's response, while there is intense speculation that last season's top scorer, Walker, could be set to depart to a lower-league club after making 216 City appearances.

Hodges said: "The players have shown unbelievable loyalty despite the much smaller budget. It is all very positive."