Boss delighted with Stratford striker’s potential
STRIKER Callum Ebanks has the potential to make it in the Football League according to Stratford Town manager Gavin Hurren.
The 21-year-old former Cheltenham Town frontman took his tally for the season to nine with the opener in the 2-1 defeat of Royston Town on Saturday and there has been interest from a number of sides both in the Football and National leagues.
Ebanks started and finished the move that gave the Bards a 1-0 lead, making it four in six for the player who first arrived on loan from the League One side before signing a contract at the start of the season.
Hurren said: “Ebanks has done well against two seasoned Royston defenders in Ron Henry and Adam Murray and it just shows the sort of player he is turning into.
“He is developing every week, he’s a strong boy and we are really fortunate we have him. If he keeps working hard – which he does in training – then he will get his just rewards which, for a striker, is goals and helping the team climb the table.
“I’ve always thought he has the potential to play in the Football League. He has to continue learning his trade. Let’s not forget that this is his first full season in adult football even though he has been in and around the first team for a while.
“This is the first year he has had the nine shirt and played a pre-season and been saddled with the pressure because we all look to him as he’s Stratford’s main guy up front.
“We are only 17 games into the season and while he and others have played well, it is important that we keep grounded and keep working hard.”
And while Hurren said the lads enjoyed their third win on the bounce, he insisted there was still plenty to do.
“It’s a credit to the lads.” he added. “We’ve been performing and we fully deserve the three wins but again we need to move on quickly.
“I don’t think we started well and full credit to Royston because they forced us into errors before we started getting a foothold in the game after the opening half-hour.
“We’ve scored a brilliant goal, similar to one we scored against Mickleover, to go in at half-time 1-0 and then I thought we produced a very professional performance in the second half.
“We had to stand tall because Royston are a side that like to put it on you and we stood up to that defensively and I thought Liam (O’Brien) was outstanding, claiming absolutely everything that came into the box.
“The win means we are in a good bit of form but we need to carry that into our games with Long Eaton on Saturday and at Redditch United on Monday.”
With Jack Storer sidelined with a knee injury, Town have taken 18-year-old wide player Zach McKenzie – a former Thomas Jolyffe pupil and triple jumper with Stratford AC – on loan from League Two Forest Green Rovers.
