MIDDLEWICH Town boss Terry Murphy is delighted with his side's progress in the close season, but admits he is facing a problem - he has too many good players.

Murphy took 22 players to Speke last week for a friendly and, after coming away with a 1-1 draw, realised that all 22 are good enough for a place in the first team next season.

He said: "We played very well and I was really pleased with the lads - we were much better than them.

"We went behind early on to a fluke goal but the lads who came on in the second half, I suppose you could say the 2nd XI, did very well, particularly a new lad called Jay Crellin who scored our goal and played some good football.

"I was also pleased with Tutty (Andy Tutt) who did well at the back and to be honest they didn't get a look in in the second half.

"Matt Higgins, our new keeper did really well too so I'm very pleased."

He added: "We've got two teams that we can pick from and it's going to be difficult now for me to know who to pick for the first team and who to put in the reserves.

"And I've got to do that in time for Saturday's match because our first team is playing Alsager at home and our reserves are playing them at Alsager."

Despite this Murphy is still looking at new talent and as well as welcoming Crellin, a winger from Winsford, he has signed keeper Matt Higgins, a former schoolboy player with Macclesfield and is giving a trial to Nigel Booth, a centre back from Knutsford.

sportsdesk@guardiangrp.co.uk