CHIPPENHAM Town chief Mark Collier has made keeping hold of top scorer Andy Sandell his top priority as he reviews his side’s season.

The Bluebirds pulled off a coup last summer by securing Sandell’s signature after he was released by League Two side Newport County.

Despite suffering with a hamstring injury, Sandell made a big impact in his first season at Hardenhuish Park, finishing as joint top scorer in the Southern League Premier Division with 21 goals as Chippenham ended the season eighth in the table.

Town have the option to retain the 32-year-old for another year and manager Collier hopes to rubber-stamp that as soon as possible.

“Andy has got pedigree, he’s played league football,” said Collier. “He has scored goals for us and when he didn’t play, we missed him.

“He is under contract with the club. His first year is now up, the second year is optional for the club so we need to sit down with him and have a conversation. Hopefully we can retain his services.

“Players at that end of the pitch are at a premium in this division. They are highly regarded and also highly paid.

“From a manager’s point of view, I’d like to keep Andy. He has got 21 goals, I think three or four others have got 21 goals as well but they certainly won’t have played as few games as he has.

“He would be a key signing and we are a growing football club and we need to make sure that continues.”

The question of whether to keep Sandell or not is easy for Collier. A harder one is figuring out exactly what went wrong with their season.

Chippenham looked nailed on to be in the shake-up for promotion when they headed into March level on points at the top of the table, but an alarming slump saw them finish five points outside the play-off places.

“The inquest will take place between myself and Tom (Jones, assistant) and some of the players, which we have started to do, and that will continue over the next couple of weeks,” added Collier, who believes he has secured the returns of goalkeeper Kent Kauppinen as well as Mark Preece, Greg Tindle, Ryan Campbell and Alan Griffin for next season.

“I have got my own ideas on where we need to go next season and what we need to do. This division is unforgiving. There are some very, very difficult games.

“When the pitches are good, we certainly do play a decent brand of football and make lots of chances, but when the pitches are not so good and teams go a little bit more direct and we have to do the same, we are not a force.

“Next season will have to be broken down into smaller segments and if we have to change our style at certain points, then so be it. We know we have got good players, we know they can compete at the top level in this division.”