A hat-trick from new signing Rob Nolan and and forty yard effort from Joe Kendrick were the highlights of a comfortable 9-2 Spartans training game win over Northern Alliance side Killingworth tonight and it was hitman Nolan who received praise from manager Tom Wade. The former North Shields striker came off the bench midway through the hastily arranged fixture and gave the Spartans fans in attendance a hint of what he has to offer with three clinical finishes.
Wade commented “He’s quality and he’s a goalscorer simple as that really, that is what he is. He will score a boatload of goals if we can get him in the right areas. He works hard in and around the box and makes intelligent runs and his three finishes tonight were just those of a natural goalscorer. I guess if he keeps on scoring three goals we can’t really complain can we.”
Wade and Assistant Manager Colin Myers used the fixture to try out some new things ahead of the new season and the Spartans manager was delighted with his side’s efforts but warned that there was still hard work ahead before he will feel ready for the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League campaign.
“The effort was great and we are still working on a few things with the players which we will get sorted before the start of the season. Tonight we kept with just two in the centre of midfield whereas on Saturday at North Shields we went with a three and tonight the two lads in there worked their socks off and were superb.”
With three of Wade’s four new additions in the squad for the win over Killingworth he also took the opportunity to look at another three trialists and the former Harrogate manager admits that his squad is getting closer to where he would like it to be. This Saturday sees Northern League side Whitley Bay travel to Croft Park and Wade hopes to have another look at the trialists during the game and revealed he has pinpointed just where he needs to strengthen the squad.
“We are trying to get a few players in and we probably need a centre half and a centre forward and we are looking at players who can do a job for us and want to play for the club. There were a few lads not there tonight like Hubbard and young Cummings and they’ll be back on Saturday so things are coming together nicely, but both myself and Colin know that we need a couple more players in.”
Spartans Grant, Donnelly, Trialist, Kendrick, Mellish, Holmes, Wade, Hooks, Mullen, Dale, Maguire Subs Trialist, Trialist, Nolan, Trialist
Goalscorers: Nolan 3, Dale 2, Kendrick, Maguire, Holmes, Trialist