Stuart Fleetwood holds the key to Merthyr Town’s faltering hopes of launching a Southern League Premier Division play-offs challenge.
The experienced former Cardiff City striker has scored well over 100 goals during his career, but he’s hit a barren spell with the Martyrs.
Fleetwood scored 17 goals for Weymouth last season, but he has failed to hit the mark for Merthyr in their last nine matches.
With the ex-Wales under-21 international at his best the Martyrs are genuine promotion contenders and he is working his way through a tough time, but he has to start hitting the mark on a regular basis.
Ian Traylor is Merthyr’s leading scorer on nine goals and they have a competitive Southern League team, but manager Gavin Williams needs Fleetwood to find form and big centre-forward Ryan Prosser to regain fitness.
They are only a few points outside the play-off positions and could revitalise their hopes with a win against Redditch United way this Saturday.
That is followed by successive home matches in four days at the Loadlok Community Stadium, against Banbury United on Saturday, November 11 and Basingstoke the following Tuesday.
Fleetwood’s lack of scoring form and Prosser’s back injury have proved major problems for Merthyr, who used defender Curtis McDonald in attack during their 2-1 FA Trophy defeat at Taunton Town.
If Fleetwood can find his scoring touch and Prosser, who is back in light training, rejoins the squad Merthyr can still raise a potent promotion challenge.
Gloucester-born Fleetwood, 31, has played for Cardiff, Accrington Stanley, Charlton Athletic, Brighton plus Exeter City and is still hungry for goals.
He was a talented fly-half in the Gloucester area growing up, but opted for football after scored 104 goals in one season for Newent Youth.
Fleetwood, who qualifies for Wales because his father was born in St Mellons, signed for Cardiff at the age of 12 and broke through after manager Lennie Lawrence selected him in the first team squad for a pre-season tour to Holland and Denmark.
He scored 28 goals in 41 appearances for Forest Green Rovers in 2007-08, a run of scoring which led to him joining Charlton Athletic.
Now he needs to regain that scoring touch and fire Merthyr Town back into the play-off places in the Premier Division.
One team will be automatically promoted, while the next four go into the play-off semi-finals.
The next three matches, a trip to Redditch plus home fixtures against Banbury and Basingstoke, are massive for the Martyrs.
They are out of the FA Cup, FA Trophy and Southern League Cup, allowing them to focus on Southern League progress.
Fleetwood’s form and Prosser’s fitness are crucial to Merthyr hopes of success and this Saturday’s trip to the English midlands is a massive test.
Prosser certainly won’t be ready for that game, but a goal or two from Fleetwood would lift the whole club.
They were unfortunate to lose at Taunton in the Trophy, having had two big penalty claims turned down.
I’ve seen a video replay of the first penalty claim when Jaye Bowen and Kerry Morgan linked up. The referee awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area for a foul on Morgan, but the replay showed that challenge was well inside the box and should have been a spot-kick.
Merthyr had another shout for a penalty turned down when McDonald was fouled after Bowen and Traylor had created an opening.
Manager Williams will think long and hard about his team selection for this Saturday, but Fleetwood will surely start.
He has the ability to make a massive impact and a Fleet-footed goal could lift the whole club.
The Martyrs are a team capable of challenging the best at Southern League level and it’s time they make a move, starting at Redditch.
Merthyr Town, from: O Davies, A Davies, K Patten, J Wright, C McDonald, J Bowen, A Evans, E Richards, I Traylor, S Fleetwood, K Morgan, S Tancock, R Patten, K Copp, C Jenkins, M Touray.
