Market Drayton Town hope to have another new striker on show at Belper tomorrow, giving a much-needed boost to their attack.
Since they last met Belper, in a 2-1 victory at Greenfields, Town have scored just 20 UniBond League South goals in 17 games - and seven of them came in a 7-1 home spree against backmarkers Willenhall.
Tom Ward’s shock move to Rushall Olympic last weekend, Stuart Ellis’s enforced absence on firefighting training and this week’s decision by teenage Stoke City apprentice Adam Vickers to go back and fight for a future at the Britannia Stadium have highlighted Town’s striking shortcomings.
“Events seem to have conspired against us as far as goalscorers are concerned,” Town manager Simon Line admitted yesterday.
“We hope to have a new striker signed for the weekend but until he puts pen to paper we’re not releasing his identity.”
Ward’s move away will come as a surprise most Town fans.
Popular at Greenfields on and off the field, he was supposed to be sitting out the rest of the season with Town’s blessings, making a concerted effort to recover from a recurring injury he’s been plagued with for two seasons.
Line said: “He knows the people at Rushall and after all the injury knock-backs he’s had here, he just feels a move might bring him a change of luck.
“He’s been great for us on and off the field and we wish him well.
“It’s all been very amicable and he’ll be very welcome here any time - so long as he’s not scoring goals against us!
“Young Adam did well for us as a very lively sub at Grantham but, at 18, he really wants to try and pursue his career at Stoke.
“I fully appreciate that and he goes with our good wishes and thanks.
“He might be able to help us out again for the occasional game and the links his signing has helped us forge with Stoke City’s apprentice set-up could prove very fruitful for both clubs in the future.”
Line’s return to manage Town after a three month spell with Hednesford Town was marked by a flurry of late transfer activity.
He had hoped to include Vickers and both Grant Goodhead and James Carvey (both returning from Hednesford) in Drayton’s squad for last Saturday’s long league trip to Grantham.
But the deals didn’t quite conclude.
A surprise eleventh hour intervention by Stafford Rangers robbed him of Goodhead’s signature late on Thursday and midfielder Carvey could not put pen to paper until Saturday morning - too late to face Grantham, leaving just Vickers to make an appearance as substitute.
Town lost 2-0 to goals by Lee Potts in the fourth and 25th minutes but Line remained upbeat after a strong second half performance.
“If we’d carried on playing like we did before the interval, when we conceded two soft goals, it would be a different story . . . but the lads put in a cracking second half performance,” he said.
“They were all over them and finished desperately unlucky not to get at least a point.
“We were attacking so much I think just about everyone apart from our goalkeeper, Steve Taylor, had a shot or a header at goal.
“I still can’t believe none of those efforts went in.
“But the great thing is that we finished on a high and going well - more of that sort of form and we’ll soon be getting the results again.”
Town came closest to scoring when Paul McMullen headed a demanding set piece chance against the bar and then Tom Rogers, clean through with only the keeper to beat, clipped a golden opportunity wide.
This was on the stroke of half time and that, in itself, could have had dire consequences.
But Town picked themselves up and won back a lot of pride, if not the points, with their revival.
Line said: “We were going so well I felt that if one chance went in we’d score another three or four.”
Following Saturday’s trip to Belper, Town have a home match with Spalding before another testing away trip to Goole as they bid to chase down a place in the end-of-season play-offs.
