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FAMILIAR FACES RETURN TO HORNETS 02/08/2004
Some familiar faces are back at Isthmian League Division One club Horcham as manager John Maggs tries to solve a striker crisis two weeks before the start of the season.
Maggs appeared to have settled on Ryan Rummery (pictured) and Wade Falana as his front pairing to fire the Hornets to success, but the manager suffered a double set-back last week and has been forced to implement ‘plan B’.
Firstly Falana, who is prolific at non-League level and had been pre-season training at Queen Street with the rest of the squad, decided to call it a day, leaving Maggs a striker light.
"He was going to play against Sutton United but we won't sign him," explained Maggs. "It's dead. He told us he is retiring, which is a crime."
The manager's problems were made two-fold last week when Rummery pulled up with a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury that dogged him towards the latter end of last season.
"It's a bit of a headache," admitted Maggs. "All summer he has been OK. We gave him 45 minutes at Arundel then he came off against Crawley feeling it."
However, Rummery's injury has responded to treatment at Crystal Palace and Maggs hopes to have the striker back for the trip to Bromley on August 14th.
"I am hoping Ryan will start the season, there is much improvement with him. He has come through alright and will be doing some light training. He might even get a game against Worthing, but I am not going to rush him because I'm desperate to get him back," added Maggs.
Rummery's injury and Falana's premature retirement prompted Maggs to look at other options, resulting in the return of Gavin Geddes and Rob Collins.
Geddes won the ‘golden boot’ when he plundered 31 goals in Division One South two seasons ago, but the former Brighton & Hove Albion forward left Queen Street at the start of last year for Worthing, where he endured a frustrating time.
Some Horsham supporters were angry at Geddes' decision to leave but should he start scoring goals then those bitter memories will be quickly forgotten.
Maggs paved the way for Geddes' return towards the end of last year, which came to nothing, although the striker joined pre-season training earlier this month and played in the friendlies against Sutton United and Oakwood, scoring one goal.
"Everybody knows what I think about Gavin. He is quality, there is no question about it, especially at this level. Regardless of what everyone thinks or says, he is a good player. But it is up to him," said Maggs.
Collins joined Horsham from Crawley Town during the 2002/03 season and he is another player capable of winning matches with extraordinary goals as anyone who saw his wonder strike against Lordswood in the FA Cup two years ago will know.
However, he left the club under a cloud towards the end of that season and turned out for Bognor Regis Town last year.
"Rob gave me a bell and we will pursue that one. He is interested in joining if he can sort his work out. I have had a couple of chats with him and that's on-going.
"He is another very good player. If you can get him to play football then you probably won't find a better forward in our league," insisted Maggs.
Another striker who has appeared in the club's colours is Florian Mateos, who followed Geddes up the A24 from Worthing. Busy and bustling, Mateos has impressed in his pre-season outings as a hard-working forward but he is on holiday and will miss the first few weeks of the season.
Young striker Ollie Wassell, who scored against Corinthian Casuals last year, is unlikely to command a starting role although Maggs has not ruled out playing John Kirby as a striker.
Usually a centre-half, Kirby has an excellent touch for a big man, is good in the air and his two goals in pre-season friendlies is more than any other Horsham striker.
"It looks like we are playing John Kirby up there to fill the gap, that is not the case. He is quite capable of doing that job, there is no question of that. I signed Tommy Warrilow many years ago as a centre-half and I sold him as a striker for £15,000, which was then a non-League record. Centre-halves do become centre-forwards," he explained.
However, one player who will not start up front is Gary Charman, who Maggs wants to restore to left midfield, despite a successful stint up front at the end of last season.
"Gary did really well up front when we were struggling last year, but I think his best position is wide on the left," said Maggs.
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