St Neots Town have acted quickly to secure midfielder Lewis Hillard on a new contract as the management duo of Gary King and Zema Abbey begin to build for next season.

Hilliard swept the board at the club’s presentation evening on Saturday evening, winning all four senior awards, and he has now signed an improved contract as preparations at the club for the 2014-15 season move up a gear.

King told The Hunts Post: “We are delighted that Lewis has chosen to stay at St Neots. He has had a fantastic season and was keen to extend his contract. He is ambitious but feels that St Neots is the right place for him to achieve his goals.”

Hilliard, at 24, is now the club’s longest serving player, and the last remaining link to the days of Dennis Greene and the team that won back-to-back promotions. He then survived the cull of the big earners which led to the departure of, among others, Stefan Moore and Ben Mackey – and the slump in form under Iain Parr in the first few months of last season.

But 24 goals from midfield is a good return in anyone’s book and managers King and Abbey will be desperate to ward off any suitors who come sniffing around the player during the summer transfer window.

“It was no surprise Lewis made a clean sweep of the awards,” said King. “Fair play to him, he deserved it.”

King and Abbey chose the player for their managers’ award, to add the leading goalscorer award he had already won – and Hilliard also picked up the players’ players and supporters’ player awards for a full house.

St Neots Town Youth & Saints, the club’s affiliated under-21s side, who played their first season of senior football in the United Counties League last season, shared the presentation evening, though their votes were split with Andy Palmer, Sam Spencer and Kaine Felix all honoured on the night.

Meanwhile, the club has announced Luton Town, who will make a return to the Football League next season, will be at The Cozy Stadium in July for a pre-season friendly. John Still’s Conference champions will make their visit on Wednesday, July 30.