NEW Malvern Town manager Joe Rawle has set his sights on keeping the club in the Southern League.

Rawle has been named as Paul Molloy's successor at the Langland Stadium after being in caretaker charge since the end of December.

It is Rawle's second stint as boss following four seasons at the helm during the club's West Midlands League days in the 1990s. He was also second in command when Neil Hunt oversaw promotions to the Midland Alliance and Southern League Division One Midlands.

And Rawle, who will be assisted by Martin Day while fellow caretaker Les Jones returns to lead the reserves, wants Malvern to maintain their current league status.

With only one team to be relegated, the club sit second-from-bottom and six points ahead of Berkhamsted Town but have played two more games.

Rawle said: "The main priority is to still be in the Southern League and then we can look at pre-season and start afresh. I always like a challenge and it's a good test.

"We have got quite a tough task ahead of us to stay up but hopefully we can get one or two players in. I think we are a club punching above our weight at the moment. We are trying to hang in there on a small budget. We need to stay ahead of Berkhamsted all the time."

Meanwhile, teenage midfielder Phil Harris has joined Chasetown.