BASHLEY are set to win the race to sign former Conference goal poacher Tim Sills after agreeing terms with experienced striker.

The ex-Aldershot and Torquay United frontman, 33, will sign on the dotted line before Bash host Ryman Premier outfit Hampton & Richmond Borough in today's pre-season friendly (3pm).

Sills’ move brought to an end Bashley’s protracted pursuit of the Romsey-born hotshot, who had held talks with Poole Town, Weymouth and Dorchester Town over the past three weeks.

The Daily Echo understands Dorchester were still in the hunt as recently as this week, but Sills, who twice won promotion to the Football League, opted for a move to the New Forest.

Sills showcased his non-league credentials with 43 goals in 96 Conference matches for Aldershot before representing Hereford United and Oxford United in the Football League.

He went on to feature in two Wembley finals for Torquay and scored in the Gulls’ Conference play-off final success over Cambridge United before gaining automatic promotion with Stevenage in 2010.

More recently, Sills appeared for Basingstoke Town in the Conference South, scoring 26 goals over the past two seasons, but a work-related move to Dorset left the front-runner looking for a new club this summer.

And despite the drawn out process, Kearn was delighted to snap up the striker from under the noses of Bashley's local rivals.

Kearn told the Daily Echo: “Tim is a very good player with a good pedigree.

“We tried to keep negotiations to ourselves but, with so many clubs interested, it inevitably went public, so we’re relieved to get the deal sorted out.

“Since taking over, we always said we wanted an experienced backbone to the side and in that respect Tim is a massive signing.”