Ebbsfleet's search to cover injured goalkeeper Preston Edwards ended with the signing of Joe Welch.

The 22-year-old impressed boss Liam Daish (pictured) in pre-season and earned a season’s contract, after finishing the season on loan at League 2 play-off winners Stevenage. He was on the bench when they beat Torquay in the final at Old Trafford in May.

Edwards, who missed both of Fleet’s Blue Square Bet South play-off semi-finals against Chelmsford last season because of injury, is spending the week at Lilleshall this week to have further treatment on his dislocated shoulder.

He faces a race to be fit for the start of the new season against York at Stonebridge Road on August 13.

Daish said: "Preston is progressing well but he hasn’t done anything physical in pre-season so far.

"He is concentrating on real strength work at the moment and I don’t think is a million a miles away at the moment.

"I have been aware of Joe for a while and he has come in and done everything that has been asked of him. He is a good addition to the squad. Stevenage were interested in keeping him but nothing happened."

Welch has plenty of Conference experience having played 50 games for Histon as well as a spell on loan at York before moving to Stevenage on loan in March.