MUCH-ACCLAIMED playmaker Kieran Dovey is back with AFC Ludlow just three weeks into the new campaign.

The 20-year-old midfielder cum striker left the West Midlands (Regional)?League outfit in the summer to try his luck with Southern League Cinderford Town, but he played his last game for the Forest of Dean side in Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Banbury United.

Boss Dave Cooper is delighted to see his Player of the Year from last season back in the fold. He said: “I don’t think Kieran was enjoying it at Cinderford. We all know what he brings to the table in terms of ability and quality and it is brilliant to have him back.”

Dovey returns to a Ludlow side currently sitting in pole position in Division One on goal difference, one of five teams with seven points from their opening three fixtures.

They dropped their first points of the season in a 2-2 draw at home to Shifnal Town last Saturday, and Cooper is expecting a similarly tough test at St Martins this weekend. The Oswestry club also have seven points from three games.

The draw with Shifnal saw Keanu Cooper and Ryan Lewis on target, but Cooper was unhappy with the performance of the match official. He said: “The referee had an horrendous game. It was the same for both teams but we appeared to get the worst of it.”

Shifnal’s opener from Adam Hill came as a direct result of a blatant foul on Jamie Smith but Cooper outfought two defenders to conjure up an equaliser three minutes before the break.

Lewis made it 2-1 seven minutes after the interval and Dale Hodge then had a goal ruled out for offside.

Shifnal levelled and put Ludlow under some serious pressure, but keeper Ian Havard’s handling was immaculate and Luke Hicks, who shared the Man of the Match award with Aaron Hodge, cleared a couple of efforts off the line.

But Smith and Jason Wellings were unlucky not to score for Ludlow in the second half and Cooper conceded: “It was two points dropped rather than one gained.”

Danny Gower was missing through injury and Danny Crowther played for Orleton Colts as Cooper was without a handful of players for different reasons.