TAUNTON Town have confirmed the capture of two more players from Southern League Premier South rivals Salisbury, with Owen Howe and Jake Wannell joining Toby Holmes at the Cygnet Health Care Stadium.

Howe is the fourth striker to sign up for the 2020/21 season, alongside Holmes, Gethyn Hill and Dan Demkiv, while Wannell joins Ben Adelsbury, Aaron Bentley and Jamie Price in defence.

Howe, 25, made his debut for Taunton's near-neighbours Tiverton Town at the age of 16, in the 2010/11 season, and after two more seasons with the Yellows he joined Bideford.

He was only there for one campaign, though, rejoining Tiverton and scoring 70 times in 142 appearances before moving on to Salisbury in 2017.

Spells at Bristol Manor Farm and Weston-super-Mare followed, before Howe returned to Salisbury last season.

Discipline has been an issue for Howe in the past; his departure from Tiverton followed a 'training ground bust-up', and the 2018/19 season saw him score 29 goals for Manor Farm, but also pick up five red cards and 10 yellows, meaning that he was suspended for 16 games over the campaign.

Taunton head of football Rob Dray says that his new striker is well aware that he has "a point to prove".

"With Owen you get hard work, and I like his physicality," Dray told the County Gazette.

"With his size, stature and the goals he gets, he will complement our other three strikers.

"He realises he's been getting himself sent off too much, and it's detrimental to everyone.

"We've had a chat, he knows where we stand [on discipline] and I think he's grown up now.

"He knows that he will have a point to prove with the Taunton fans to start with.

"But I know him from my time as Bideford assistant, so I know he's a really nice lad, and I think he will have a great mentor in Pricey [Jamie Price], who he speaks to a lot."

Somerset County Gazette:

INCOMING: Jake Wannell (pictured in white kit). Pic: Salisbury Journal/John Rose

Also coming in from Salisbury is 26-year-old defender Wannell, who came through the Exeter City youth system before going out on loan to Dorchester Town, Chippenham Town and Poole Town.

He played for Weymouth between 2014 and 2017, and then linked up with Steve Claridge at Salisbury for the past three seasons - helping them secure promotion alongside Taunton in 2017/18.

Dray said: "Jake has a great left foot and has the physical attributes that you want.

"He brings bags of experience, and he's from Newton Abbot, so not far away [from Taunton].

"I'm a long-time admirer of his, and I've been chasing from 18 months.

"We have to improve defensively, so him and Aaron [Bentley] coming in will make us better."