NEIL Shillingford is looking forward to testing his Dudley Kingswinford side against league leaders Newport this Saturday.

DK travel to the Salop-based promotion hopefuls aiming to take another big step in their development this season.

The Heathbrook outfit sit in fourth place in Midlands One West and are hoping to end the campaign with a strong finish.

Shillingford said: "The plan for us as a side is to be where Newport are this time next year.

"We have our own goals to finish in fourth now but are then looking to push on and be a force next season.

"It is a no pressure fixture really so we'll be looking forward to it even though we know it will be very tough for us.

"They are in a promotion battle, will be up for it and will be keen to turn us over after we beat them at our place earlier in the season.

"The big thing for us will be the performance. We may not end upon the right side of the scoreline but we need to make sure we put in a good performance that we can carry forward into next season."

DK are looking to bounce back to winning ways after defeat against Moseley Oak when they were last in action.

"We hopefully learned a lot from the Moseley defeat and have been working on those on the training paddock since.

"I think Newport are similar to Moseley in the way they set up so that will give us a chance to put a few things into practice.

"It's important we mainly focus on our own strengths though and don't get too caught up in the opposition. We know what we can do and have to go there focused on our own game plan."

DK didn't have a game last Saturday after forfeiting their Plate clash at Hereford due to injury troubles.

Shillingford explained: "We had 12 players from the 18 in the previous weekend's squad that were struggling and we decided we had to call it off.

"We contemplated blooding some young players instead but I don't think that would have been good for them if they'd have gone there and took a big beating."

The break last weekend does mean Shillingford will have an almost fully fit squad to choose from ahead of Saturday's trip to the leaders.