Midfielder’s return could inspire Bards
MIDFIELD ace Jack Storer could bring the magic needed to keep Stratford Town in the play-off places as they go into two home games four days.
The 26-year-old signed for the Bards just hours before their 2-0 win at Biggleswade Town on Saturday having linked up with the side in midweek.
Coach Paul Davis said his impact was obvious having come on as a second half substitute but lack of recent games mean he faces a race to get fit going into a key period for the Arden Garages Stadium side.
“He adds a substantial amount of quality on the pitch and hopefully he will also bring goals,” Davis explained. “He knows the group and the club which is quite important and he has settled back in.
“He set the second goal up from a set-piece with [Chris] Hussey and he won a lot of aerial battles on the righthand side which is not what you might associate him with but it shows another side of his game.
“Speaking to him after the match when he’d played 35-40 minutes he said it was a bit tough so for him now it is a race to get fit so that he can start a few games because he has not played since returning to this country.
“I wasn’t at the Barwell game but I watched it back on Sunday and we didn't have that bit of magic needed to win games. Jack has that in abundance. When he does something on the pitch, whether it’s a shot, an assist or a little bit of skill, it lifts players and gives them a little bit of motivation. You don’t have to tell him, he does things naturally.”
Storer picked up numerous bookings in his two previous spells at the club but Davis is unconcerned. He added: “When opposition players know Jack they will try and wind him up. Everyone has the red mist but it’s just that his descends a bit quicker sometimes so it is a situation we have to manage when we play certain teams. I had him previously at the football club and he was as good as gold for me.
“I said to him at training on Thursday that this was probably his last chance to make it into the National League or even the lower reaches of the Football League because of his age. He seems to like it at Stratford and sometimes players find a home where they are comfortable.”
Storer’s return has led to the departure of Gibraltar international Reece Styche who has rejoined fellow Southern League Premier Central side AFC Telford United. Davis added: “Reece has been absolutely brilliant and an experienced member in the dressing room. I can’t talk highly enough of him.
“Because of the shape we play we tried playing him wide but he doesn’t give us the dynamic we need as a team. We shouldn’t be keeping a player of that stature on the bench because when you have someone like Reece Styche then there are financial implications as well. A decision had to be made and he has moved on.”
The Brads host lowly Lowestoft Town on Saturday and then Barwell on Tuesday evening. Davis said: “Lowestoft have only just gone out of the FA Cup so they are in a false position in the table. We are six unbeaten in the league and have only conceded three goals in those games so we are progressing in the right direction but our home record has been disappointing so we need to improve that going into these two home games.”