Joey May and Fola Orilonishe are hoping to impress Jimmy McFarlane

Hornchurch manager Jimmy McFarlane will continue to run the rule over trialists Joey May and Fola Orilonishe between now and the start of the Blue Square South season.

Both have impressed the Urchins boss during pre-season and have featured heavily to date.

Striker Orilonishe needs no introduction to the Bridge Avenue faithful having spent the back end of last season on loan from Sutton United, while May, a midfielder, has been in and out at local rivals Aveley for the past two seasons.

McFarlane is flabbergasted as to why May has not succeeded elsewhere.

“Joey has come in and settled straight away, not looking out of place whatsoever,” said McFarlane.

“It has amazed me that he hasn’t settled down elsewhere and played at a higher level. He has been a player who has plied his trade lower down the leagues, but has come in over the summer and looked a solid player.

“We all know what we are going to get with Fola and that is something different to what we already have here.

“He put in another good performance against Woking on Tuesday night, his work rate is second to none.

“But we will carry on looking at them and will assess it on a week-by-week basis.”

And McFarlane refuses to rule out the possibility of new players coming in, if the right one comes along.

“Who knows? Football is full of surprises,” he added. “I would be a fool to say I wouldn’t take any more on.

“Any manager that tells you they don’t want to improve their squad would be a liar, but for me it would have to be the right player.”

But if the season was to start tomorrow, the Bridge Avenue boss would be happy to go with the squad he has.

“We have lost three players and brought in three players, so it is the same size squad as last season,” he added.

“I would be happy to start the season with what we have got though. We can’t compete with the likes of Eastleigh and Havant in terms of the money, but I feel the squad is good enough if the season started now.”

The Urchins chief saw his side suffer a 2-1 loss at Canvey Island in a pre-season friendly on Saturday and a 1-1 home draw with last season’s Blue Square South champions Woking on Tuesday night.

And despite the midweek result, McFarlane refuses to get carried away.

“You can’t really say that would be a good gauge on how we will do this season,” he said.

“Pre-season results fluctuate and you see non league sides sometimes beating league sides, so I am not getting carried away.

“At this stage it is all about getting the players fitness up to scratch and I am happy with how it is coming along.”

Hornchurch’s pre-season continues with a trip to Ryman One South side Maidstone United on Saturday, before welcoming League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge to Bridge Avenue on Tuesday night.