TORPOINT Athletic have been busy preparing for the new season by adding to their playing and coaching staff.

They have made four new signings, while also bringing in Sam Matthews to help out manager Dean Cardew and assistant boss Gary Williams.

Arguably the most eye-

catching capture is Saltash’s top scorer last season, Ryan Richards, who netted 45 goals in all competitions.

He has signed for Toolstation Western League Premier Division side Plymouth Parkway for the 2020-21 campaign, but Point have brought him in as cover for their Peninsula League Premier East matches.

His availability will obviously depend on Parkway’s requirements and the two clubs’ respective fixture lists, but he is certainly an attractive addition to the Point squad.

And they saw first hand how devastating he can be as he scored four goals against them at The Mill when Saltash knocked Point out of the FA Vase last October.

A delighted Cardew told the Cornish Times: ‘I have been trying to sign him for years, but he is friends with a couple of our lads and when he committed to Parkway, I managed to talk him into signing for us as cover, which is good.’

Cardew has also added goalkeeper Ben Elphick, left winger Sam West and former Torquay United and Swindon Town central midfielder Ben Joyce to his roster.

‘Ben has been in the Army for six years and hasn’t played locally full time during that period. He has played for Torpoint more than a dozen times before, and before he went in the Army he played for Parkway. Last season he played for Tavistock as cover, but he is good friends with Paul Heveran in our team, and he mentioned his availability and the fact he wants to get involved with someone full-time,’ explained Cardew.

‘Jason (Peters) has been our goalkeeper for a few years and I have got no issues with him, so it is a case of Ben coming in and fighting for his place, and he is happy to do that.’

Cardew added: ‘Sam is a Torpoint lad and played for the club for years after coming through the youth system, and I played with him when I was playing. He is a left-sided player, very good technically and brilliant on the ball, but he moved to Exeter 18 months ago, but I have managed to talk him into coming back to play for us, which is really pleasing.

‘He is a Torpoint lad, so his family are down here and his girlfriend is from here, too.

‘Ben Joyce is another established player who I think has won the league with both Bodmin Town and Parkway, and an ex-pro, and another really good player, and he will hopefully come in and enjoy it at the club.’

As for the addition of Matthews, Cardew commented: ‘He is one of my best mates and he coaches Torpoint under-eights.

‘He watches most of our games and I speak to him quite often, and I asked him whether he would like to get officially involved with us and come into the changing rooms and give his opinion because, for me, you can’t have enough good people in there.

‘The junior side is his priority, but he finishes in time to watch us, so as much as he can, he will come in and be a voice and an opinion, along with Willow (Gary Williams).’