AFC LUDLOW boss Dave Cooper has a big pre-season question mark over key playmaker Kieran Dovey.

Cooper is waiting on a decision from Dovey as to whether he will be re-signing for the West Midlands (Regional) League Division One outfit.

Dovey appears to be keeping his options open at present and trained with Ludlow, Cinderford and Westfields last week.

On Saturday he then played for Pegasus in their 3-2 defeat by a Forest of Dean Select XI at the same time as Ludlow were kicking off their pre-season programme with a 5-0 victory at Churchstoke.

Cooper said: “I asked Kieran on Saturday night what he is going to do and he said he was still unsure.

"We have plenty of competition for places at the moment, and were missing virtually a whole team last weekend. But Keiran is a good player and we will certainly miss him if he decides to go elsewhere.”

Highly-rated Woofferton skipper Danny Gower is set to play more of a role for Ludlow this coming season, Wales Schools international Jamie Hammonds has re-signed and former skipper Jamie Marsh, who now lives in Doncaster, will also make himself more available.

Dovey’s brother, Aaron, was one of the scorers in Saturday’s comfortable stroll at Welsh side Churchstoke.

A Jack Beaumont penalty after new boy Jason Wellings had been brought down and a volley from Ryan Lewis had Ludlow 2-0 ahead at the break.

Dovey swooped to add a third when George Sankey’s shot was spilled by the Churchstoke goalkeeper and Wellings, who had started in central midfield, was then pushed up front to add a fourth.

Beaumount converted a second penalty to complete the scoring after Jamie Edwards had been wiped out after a mazy run past five defenders.

Cooper added: “Jamie Edwards ran the show for me, and we looked sharper and fitter than Churchstoke, even though we were without a lot of players for various reasons.”

Cooper says he will treat tomorrow night’s (Friday, 7.30pm) Ludlow Hospital Cup final with Church Stretton at Ludlow Stadium as a proper game and not as a pre-season friendly, and will try and use a core of only 14 to 15 players.

Ludlow also host Shifnal United 97 in another pre-season warm-up game next Tuesday night (7.30pm).