CHIPPENHAM Town have rolled out the welcome mat for one new signing this weekend whilst also waving goodbye to another player.

The Bluebirds have snapped up 21-year-old former Basingstoke Town, Farnborough and Metropolitan police midfielder Andy Jenkinson but Ben Whitehead has departed to re-join Evo-Stik League Southern Division One South and West outfit Didcot Town.

The striker, who joined the Bluebirds from Wantage Town in January, would have been competing with the likes of Andy Sandell, Alan Griffin and David Pratt for spot up-top for Chippenham this term and manager Mark Collier says that Whitehead has left in search of more guaranteed starts.

Collier said: “I think Ben was concerned re game-time with us.

“Ben is good lad and of course, wants regular starts – unfortunately, I am not able to offer that.

“He is an Oxfordshire lad and I am aware that helped in making his decision-making.”

Meanwhile, Chippenham beat Toolstation League rivals Melksham Town 5-1 at Hardenhuish Park in their final friendly before the start of the new season.

An entertaining local derby saw Melksham give a good account of themselves until the final seven minutes, when the Bluebirds rattled in three goals to make their superiority count.

Melksham keeper Rob Brown saved Pratt's third-minute header whilst seven minutes later, Pratt was off-target with another headed effort.

Former Maidenhead and Farnborough midfielder Andy Jenkinson, who was trialling for the Bluebirds shot wide from 30 yards whilst at the other end, Kent Kauppinen saved Mike Perrott's header.

Melksham took the lead on 22 minutes when left-back Dan King's 30-yard free kick saw Kauppinen unmoved but Chippenham equalised on 33 minutes when Will Richards played a free-kick back across the face of goal and Alex Ferguson bundled the ball in at the far post.

Five minutes later, a Nuno Felix clearance found Sandell, whose cross was firmly headed home by Pratt to make it 2-1.

After the break, Jenkinson cut in from the right but his delicate chip was just too high and then Ferguson shot over before seeing another attempt held by Brown.

Midway through the half, Michael Pook's corner was headed over by fellow substitute Alan Griffin and a quarter of an hour from time, Sandell's free-kick from a central position was just too high.

Brown did well to turn behind an effort from substitute Matt Smith and as Chippenham continued to pile on the pressure, Griffin headed over from a looping Jon Beeden cross whilst Griffin's knockdown was blasted over from three yards out by Pratt.

Ten minutes from time, Sandell's cross was headed goalwards by Griffin and held under the bar by Brown but Chippenham finally put the result beyond doubt with seven minutes to go as Pratt latched onto a through ball and cut an angled shot past the Melksham goalie Brown.

Pratt hit his hat-trick two minutes later with a spectacular scissor-kick from a Macauley Dodson cross.

Sandell rounded the scoring off two minutes from time when he converted a penalty after Pratt had been fouled in the area.

Chippenham Town: Kent Kauppinen, Conor McCormack (Mark Preece 55), Nuno Felix (Jon Beeden 60), Chris Allen (Alan Griffin 60), Greg Tindle (Macauley Dodson 65), Will Richards, Alex Ferguson (Michael Pook 60), Andy Jenkinson (Ryan Campbell 65), David Pratt, Andy Sandell, James Guthrie (Matt Smith 55).