After eight pre-season friendlies, Beavers joint boss Paul Barry has admitted his side still has a lot of work to do in defence and midfield ahead of the new Ryman Premier season.

Last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to a Crystal Palace XI, and Tuesday night’s 3-2 win at Egham Town may be exciting for the neutral, and while Barry is revelling in his side’s attacking prowess, he has concerns elsewhere.

He said: “Going forward we have plenty of options and are looking good – especially with the wide players we have at our disposal, such as Jerome (Federico).

“We’re still tinkering with the defence, and we need to work on the midfield’s defensive duties.

“With the ball they are looking good, but without it we are not looking so great.”

Beavers were due to travel to Hanworth Villa last night (Thursday) for their ninth workout, with Barry continuing to run the rule over the 22 players in his squad.

He said: “We’ve had so many friendly games because we have a lot of players to watch.

“Those who played on Tuesday will not play against Villa.

“But we’re also struggling for training pitches, so the best way to watch the players is during game time.”

He added: “To be fair, the pre-season is getting a bit tedious, and we’re all just waiting for the season to start.”

Hampton & Richmond Borough go to Fleet Town on Saturday.