By Bruce Archer

Hampton & Richmond Borough joint boss Paul Barry said this weekend’s friendly with Whitehawk is the cut-off for the remaining trialists to prove themselves worthy of a permanent contract at the club.

After a hectic start to pre-season, where the Beavers were inundated with 60 players trying to impress, Barry and co-manager Darren Powell have whittled it down to the players they believe can improve the side.

They will run a final rule over them against last season’s Ryman Premier Division champions Whitehawk on Saturday at the Beveree (kick-off 3pm).

Barry also wants to use the fixture to gauge how the current crop are coming along in their preparations for the campaign.

He said: “We’re still a few players short but after this weekend we’ll have a clearer idea of what the squad is going to be.

“It’s been a bit hectic with so many trialists but we’ve had a good look and we’ll be ready to make the final decisions on the players after Whitehawk.

“We’ll put a strong side out because they’re a good team, winning the league last year, so it will be good to see what level we’re at.”

The Beavers finished 14th last year and they hope to improve on that, although Barry would not be drawn on a prediction.

He said: “Privately, we’ve got our own goals, but generally it’s just to do as well as possible. Obviously, though, we want to finish as high as we can and win more than we lose.”

The Beavers kick-off the new season on August 10 at home to Margate.