CRADLEY Town have appointed former Stourbridge defender Ross Collins to their management team as Adrian Mander’s rebuild continues.

Collins, who left his assistant manager post at Stourport Swifts over the summer, has been drafted in by new Hammers boss Mander and will take the role of either joint or assistant manager.

His exact position was set to be thrashed out at a meeting last night, with Mander also hoping to finalise deals for several players including Lye Town defender Gavin Winsper and Lichfield City winger Sean Williams.

Mander said: “I’m delighted to have Ross on board.

“I have known him for quite a few years and he had played for me in the past. He’s a good football lad.

“He’s a great player and he will still be turning out in defence for us, though he does have an injury at the moment.

“It’s been a mad week-and-a-half but I’m hoping to complete all of the deals for players by the weekend. I have got some good lads who will be coming in.

“I’ll know a lot more after Wednesday night when we are hoping to get everything sorted.”

Former Halesowen Town striker James Johnson is also on the radar, while Mander has maintained a good number of the squad left by former boss Steve Daniels - with Danny Ludlow the only notable departure.

He knows his side will face a tough test this Saturday when they travle to Castle Vale in the FA Vase.

He said: “We are really up against it, we could not have asked for a harder game.

“I think we will certainly learn a lot from it.”

While Mander has been busy putting his plans in place, he has managed to upset former incumbent Daniels who took exception to the new man saying he had walked into a “nightmare” on arrival at the club.

Daniels, who left by mutual consent on August 27, said he saw the comment as a “personal attack.”

But Mander explained: “When I called the situation a nightmare I was in no way knocking him.

“I was referring to the fact I only had three days to get a side together for our game at Bewdley Town - that was the nightmare.”

Blackheath Town head to Wyrley on Saturday looking for their second successive win after a 4-0 victory over Wolverhampton United last weekend.