PERSHORE Town manager Quentin Townsend says the opportunity to recruit front-runner Charlie Anagho-Ntamark was too good to turn down.
Townsend admits he has plenty of options up front but the advice from his contacts was that 22-year-old Anagho-Ntamark, the son of former Walsall and Cameroon player Charlie, would be a real asset.
He has joined via Worcester City and Lye Town but he has played for Hednesford Town, Rushall Olympic and Sutton Coldfield Town and his debut in the second half of the weekend’s game against Lichfield City was one of the positives in a 4-1 home defeat.
“I got a tip from Worcester about Charlie and I said I was covered for strikers,” said Townsend. “I’ve got options with Mitch Butterworth, Callum Devlin, Alfie Bloomer, Pavel Tomczak and Jamie Clarke.
“But they said Charlie would be a real asset and he showed that in the second half against Lichfield. He was our best player – everything that we did well went through him.
“He is big, quick and strong and when I spoke to him he made it clear he wanted to get games and he wants to do well.”
Lichfield led 2-0 at half time through Charlie Jones and Jordan Hunt on Saturday before Tom Green converted a third seven minutes into the second period. David Wilson smashed home a 25-yarder for Pershore before Evans bagged Lichfield’s fourth from close range.
Pershore’s eighth defeat in nine matches has left them second from bottom in Midland League Division One and Townsend knows such form cannot continue, but they head to fellow strugglers Brocton on Saturday looking for an upturn in fortunes as they face a run of teams in and around them.
“I want to take Pershore forward and, if truth be told, I haven’t done that yet,” said Townsend. “But it has made me more determined to turn things around. I’m not going to walk away.
“I know there are clubs where if the manager loses seven games in a row he would be sacked. The club have backed me and I want to get them out of the mess we’re in.
“We’ve had some tough games against top teams but now, over the next few months, we’ve got games against the teams in the lower half of the league and we need to start putting a run together.”
Injuries have not helped and Townsend was again forced into action against Lichfield while fellow centre back Will Stallard suffered a dislocated knee which will rule him out until the new year.
Pershore will have three regular defenders – skipper Shaun Griffiths, James Walker and Dean Waldron – plus experienced midfielder Dane Aldington ready to return at Brocton.
Aldington has declared himself fit after initial fears he might be sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee problem.
“We’ve got three of the back four that ended the season so well last term to come back in plus Dane and that’s the spine of our team,” added Townsend.
Striker Clarke will be back next week, having played for the England Deaf side in Turkey. The former Evesham, Studley and Littleton player was handed the captain’s armband for the European Championships qualifier in Antalya.
Meanwhile, Scott Devlin has departed the King George V Stadium. He had decided to leave after being left out of the last couple of games.
Pershore then host top six outfit Atherstone Town on Tuesday.
