MARK Tompkins hopes his Chipstead players have enjoyed their football at the club and return in the summer, giving him the chance to build a settled squad for a whole season.

Chipstead put lingering relegation hopes to bed last Wednesday when defender Jason Thompson scored his first two goals for the club at Sittingbourne, where Chips won 2-1.

And now the manager says he has to sit down and talk to the majority of his team to persuade them to stay and aim to better the club's best-ever Ryman finish of 15th.

Chipstead, who drew with Dulwich Hamlet last weekend, host relegated Eastbourne this Saturday in their final game before hosting their player of the year event and then preparing for a squad trip to Butlins on May 7.

Having shelled out about £1,850, the players, led by fines man Allan Matthews, have accumulated about £600 in spending money.

"The fines man has been very busy," mused Tompkins, who said it had helped build team spirit. "A lot of players don't like paying out, but it's for things like being late or not wearing a shirt and tie, or not having clean boots. It helps build discipline, too. One thing we've got there is a good team spirit. They like the training and they know what Mick Reid and I are about.

"You never know, someone might come in and offer them £10 extra to play somewhere else and they go. You can't [guarantee to] keep them, you can just talk to them. The one thing we've made it this year is enjoyable. People came in and they enjoyed their football whether we were winning or not and if they are enjoying it I'd like to think they'll stay. I'll need to sit down with the chairman and talk money.

"The highest the club has finished I think is 15th and that would be a target, but I'd hope to start the season with a squad of about 20 and go through the entire season with them."

Chipstead have put unbeaten runs together this season which suggests, had they begun the campaign together, they could have finished further up the table.

Instead they secured their Ryman status with two games to go by defeating Sittingbourne, a club playing their third game in as many days.

"We were by far the better side," said Tompkins. "I know they played the night before, but we set ourselves up to be right in their faces.

"We didn't want to get to the Eastbourne game needing something to stay up."

Thompson's second goal was a 25-yarder, after he jinked inside with one foot and shot with the other.

Then last Saturday at Dulwich more frequent scorer Ray Freeman, bagged the visitors' goal as Chipstead held their hosts 1-1.

Centre-back Danny Dudley was given a full 90 minutes. Tompkins added: "We should have won; 1-1 flattered them."

Peck made a fine save from Alim Sesay early on in a free-flowing game.

Chips scored in the 32nd minute when Antony Morrison took a quick throw to Thompson, who curled in a cross from the left which Freeman timed to perfection to meet on the half volley placing it wide of the outstretched arm of Phil Wilson.

Dulwich replied with some sustained pressure and ex-Dulwich midfielder Sanchez Ming cleared a header from Nicolas Plumain.

Dulwich equalised when after a free-kick, Gerry Gonnella drove in a low delivery and Osa Obamwonyi knocked the ball home.

Morrison's tricky run was ended by a stray leg giving away a penalty which Wilson saved at full-stretch from skipper Scott Simpson.

Near the end, Freeman rounded two defenders before Wilson denied him and Thompson flashed a free-kick inches over.

Chipstead (v Sittingbourne): Peck, Thompson, Coburn, Hollingsworth, Bedford, Pitterson, A Brown, Matthews, Morrison, Freeman, Simpson.

Chipstead (v Dulwich Hamlet): Peck, Bedford, Dudley, Thompson, Russell, Pitterson, Grizzle, Ming (Brown), Freeman, Morrison, Simpson (Brown).