Arrivals and departures at Taunton

GOALKEEPER Lloyd Irish has resigned for Southern League Premier Division South side Taunton Town.

Irish, who rejoined Taunton in 2014 following a spell with Weston-super-Mare, has made 358 first-team appearances for the Somerset club.

The custodian completed five half-marathons in May, raising nearly £3,000 for the Josh Evans Trust Fund, a charity which supports children with diabetes.

Meanwhile, two former Welsh Under-19 players have joined Taunton – both having played for Merthyr Town last season.

Gethyn Hill, pictured, is a 25-year-old striker who has played for Cinderford and Weston, while Lee Lucas, 27, is a midfielder who had a spell with Scottish Premier League side Motherwell before joining Merthyr at the start of the 2018-19 season.

Taunton have also snapped up Toby Holmes, a 27-year-old front man from league rivals Salisbury. He won the Southern League Golden Boot award in 2018-19.

These signings help to plug the gaps left by the departure of four key players last week – top scorer Andrew ‘Rocky’ Neal, Shane White and Ryan Brett who have all joined big-spending Truro, and front man Matt Wright who has moved to ambitious Devon side Plymouth Parkway.

Newport County management consultant Lennie Lawrence, who worked with Paul Trollope at Bristol Rovers, has left the League Two club to join bottom-of-thetable Stevenage. Lawrence, 72, who managed Charlton and Middlesbrough earlier in his career, will assist boss Alex Revell in a similar role at the team currently at the foot of the EFL.