Search goes on for 20 goal a season striker

Mansfield Town have failed in an audacious attempt to sign one of League Two's leading goalscorers.
The One Call Stadium, home of Mansfield Town FC.The One Call Stadium, home of Mansfield Town FC.
The One Call Stadium, home of Mansfield Town FC.

But manager Steve Evans said he is in no panic to find an established 20-goals-a-season striker and believes he may already have one or two in the building.

“We made an enquiry for one of the leading goalscorers in our league and were told they don’t want to sell him,” he said.

“We respect their right to make that decision and we move on.

“We made an enquiry to ask if they’d be prepared to look at an offer. But it never got to the stage where myself and Carolyn would sit down and discuss what that offer would be.

“But, as we’ve proved with Peterborough, when I first spoke to Barry Fry about Lee Angol I think his words were ‘Mansfield’s not going to be buying Angol’!

“We are in no rush. If the right players come along then we are going to be in the market place to sign them.

“If you do your business early you tend to get the better players. But there will always be a gem of a player that pops up in the last week of June – and we’ll always be in the market for a gem.”

Stags fans are desperate to see an established free-scoring striker signed with Danny Rose from last season so far joined by Lee Angol and Jimmy Spencer on the forwards roster.

However, Evans said: “We are still looking for a striker or two.

“We’ve not missed out on any we’ve been given permission to speak to. But we have already signed one or two that might get goals.

“I think Lee Angol is destined to get 20 goals.

“Everyone knows that if you’ve got three or four strikers you really need to be getting 35-40 goals between those strikers to give you a real chance of promotion.

“I think Angol is 20-plus all day. I think he’s got everything and I think he’s probably going to play in a team that does make a number of chances and is dominant.

He continued: “Danny Rose – people forget he hardly scored a goal before we came in. He finished on 10 goals and if you take away the penalty kicks he probably finishes our leading goalscorer.

“From that point of view I think he’s got a point to prove.

“I’m also excited about working with Jimmy Spencer. He is a top talent. I don’t think there’s many clubs in League One that wouldn’t have him in the door.

“He’s got points to prove and he certainly sees that.”

Evans stressed funds were available for strikers as they became available.

“We’re still in the market for strikers and the wonderful thing is I have the full support of the owners,” he said.

“John Radford phones me more about getting new players in than anyone else which reminds me so much of Tony Stewart at Rotherham.

“They have bought into what I am trying to do and they are trying to do it with me.”