STUART Watkiss will be searching high and low for strikers as he looks set to lose another front-man at Kidderminster Harriers.

He expects Mark Rawle to reject his verbal offer of a new one-year deal in a bid to stay in the Coca-Cola League.

Rawle joined in February from Oxford and scored three goals in five starts, including an excellent strike against Mansfield.

But Watkiss admitted: "I've had a chat with Rawlie and he's told me he wants to try and find himself a Football League club so it looks like we'll have to plan ahead without him.

"Obviously now it just makes the search for another striker even more important."

Ian Foster, Blair Sturrock and Gary Birch have been released by relegated Harriers, while Chris Beardsley seems set to leave the club but not for free as he is under 24.

So that leaves just Iyseden Christie, whose first campaign with Harriers was blitzed with injury, to plough a lone furrow up-front.

The expected small squad has already led to friendlies with Sheffield Wednesday and Halesowen Town on August 1 and July 23 respectively being postponed.

But an extra game with former league rivals Bristol Rovers is likely to be organised for July 30.

Meanwhile, owner Lionel Newton is considering the first formal bid for his shares, made by a consortium led by current vice-chairman Barry Norgrove and retired businessman Neil Savery, a lifelong Kidderminster fan.

They have offered an immediate £300,000 injection into the club plus an extra £100,000 over the next two years.

Harriers' board are demanding "basic information" from a rival Hampshire consortium and to meet their members before allowing access to the financial records.