Henderson feels he has unearthed another Tavi gem

ONE LOOK at the Southern Football League website tells you all you need to know about the make-up of Tavistock's squad this season.

- STUART JAMES

No fewer than 13 players are aged 21 or under, no one is over the age of 30 and 27-year-olds Ben Cross, Aaron Dearing, Ruben Kane, Liam Prynn and Ben steer are the elder statesmen in what is a particularly youthful squad.

Manager Stuart Henderson would love to add some experience and know-how to that group of players, but the simple truth is that his budget just does not allow it. So unearthing these raw gems and turning them into polished diamonds remains the only way that the Lambs can operate right now.

"I don't want to harp on about budgets, because that is what I feel we do, but if you had a league table of budgets, we'd be down at the bottom," Henderson said ahead of tomorrow's trip to Malvern Town.

"Ultimately, we are extremely young and we do have quality in the squad, but I feel we are three or four players light at this level.

"Unfortunately, you are not going to get players for £60, £70 to travel all over the country of the level and that is the position I have found myself in and it is difficult to attract some players even from the league below - to do the travel for what you can pay them.