NEWPORT County captain Darren Jones is a target for Nationwide South escape artists Forest Green Rovers, the Argus understands.

The 22-year-old, voted player-of-the-year last season, spent a spell on loan from Bristol City at Forest Green's Lawn ground two seasons ago and new boss Gary Owers is hoping the fact they have retained their Conference status thanks to Northwich Victoria's voluntary relegation will persuade Jones to return.

Rovers boss Owers, who was a room-mate of County boss John Cornforth when both were at Sunderland, was keeping his cards close to his chest.

"Darren is a player who I know very well, we played together here at Forest Green a few years back," he said.

"But I have a list of about 300 players and can't comment on all of them. It is my job to bring the best players I can to the club.

"I do know he is under contract at Newport and it would be very difficult to sign him."

Cornforth insists he will be doing all he can to keep his good friend's hands off his skipper.

"Darren is my captain and we will be fighting tooth and nail to keep him at Newport," Cornforth said.

"He has got a year left on his contract and hopefully he will be here for at least the rest of that."

Meanwhile County face competition for some of their main signing targets.

Merthyr duo Chris Bale and Colin Stein have been strongly linked with Spytty Park moves but midfielder Bale is now being pursued by Tiverton Town and forward Stein has been linked with a move to ambitious Welsh Premiership side Llanelli, who have an increased budget this season.

Tiverton boss Martyn Rogers confirmed his interest in Bale. "I'm going to be talking to Chris. I like him as a player and I think he can do us a bit of good," he said.

"He gets about the pitch very well and I will have discussions with him to see what he wants to do."

Cornforth is still hoping to persuade former Swansea and Exeter midfielder Kwame Ampadu to join when his contract expires at the end of the month.

And he is also trying to land former target Julian Alsop, the striker's deal at Forest Green coming to an end at the same time as his ban from football, received after an infamous training ground bust up while at Oxford.

lThere will be two promotion places from the Nationwide Conference South up for grabs next season as the Conference National is expanding to 24 teams.

The champions go up automatically and there will be play-offs between the second to fifth-placed teams for the other berth.