RYMAN League new boys Lymington & New Milton are believed to be leading the chase for released Eastleigh duo Martin Beck and Sam Wyeth.

The pair featured only intermittently in Eastleigh's Ryman Premier promotion campaign and, with manager Paul Doswell targeting four experienced summer signings, they would be doubtful of getting a look-in in the Nationwide Conference South.

Pacy wideman Beck has been a popular figure at the Sparshatts Stadium, even catching Southampton's eye a couple of years back, but inconsistency has let him down.

Doswell said: "Martin's a good player and a great lad, but he's not been getting in the side often enough for his own benefit and it seems almost cruel to keep him on the bench. He deserves the chance to play more football."

The same goes for teenage defender Wyeth who, after an early-season spell at right-back, barely got a sniff of first-team football from mid-November onwards, eventually going on loan to Bashley. Wyeth is also wanted by new BAT boss Danny Ackland.

Eastleigh reserve striker Barry Mason is returning to the Sparshatts Stadium after gaining first-team experience at BAT and Bashley. "He's coming back to us pre-season and we're going to have a look at him and see where he goes from there," said Doswell.

Eastleigh's new batch of signings are expected to be unveiled once Doswell returns from holiday, but he insists the club will not be busting a financial gut to compete with the Conference South's big spenders.

In successive promotion seasons from the Wessex, Dr Martens Eastern and Ryman Premier Leagues, they have always featured among the higher payers, but Havant & Waterlooville got their fingers burned with a sky-high budget in the Conference South last season and Eastleigh are not prepared to go the same way.

"Budget-wise I would imagine we'd be mid to lower-table in the Conference South, so it will be interesting to see if we can punch our weight," said Doswell.

"Basingstoke and Dorchester managed it last season, so I don't see why we can't."

Highlights of Eastleigh's pre-season programme are home games against Glenn Cockerill's Woking (Wednesday, July 20, 7.45pm), AFC Bournemouth (Tuesday, July 26, 7.45pm), Saints XI (Wednesday, July 27, 7.45) and Nick Holmes's Salisbury City (Saturday, August 6, 3pm).

They travel away to Aldershot Town (Saturday, July 23, 3pm) and Winchester City in the Hampshire Chronicle Cup (Sunday, July 31, 3pm).