SOUTH African striker Stuart Brown is ready to fill the vacancy left by departed AFC Totton skipper Martin Whiddett.

The tall 23-year-old targetman has joined Testwood Park on a dual registration from Salisbury City, where he has been struggling to pin down a first-team place.

Since joining City in August last year, Brown has made 25 starts for the Wiltshire club and scored 11 goals, but he has been limited to just one start and three substitute appearances this season after a summer spell training with Dorchester Town.

He was an unused sub for Salisbury in last Saturday's FA Cup fourth qualifying round win over Lymington & New Milton, but the Whites have no game tomorrow and Brown is expected to feature in Totton's squad for their Hampshire Senior Cup second round assignment at Fleet Town.

Totton boss Barry Blankley clarified: "Stuart's not leaving Salisbury, but I've agreed with Nick Holmes (Salisbury boss) to take him on a dual registration. He hasn't been getting into the side there and he wants regular football.

"We would like to have had him for the Andover game last Saturday, but Nick wanted him in his squad for the FA Cup.

"I've seen Stuart play several times. He's a big, strong lad who's technically very good and he can give us the added dimension we lost when Martin Whiddett went to Bashley."

Blankley's other frontline target, Nicky Wyatt of Burgess Hill Town, has failed to materialise.

The pocket-sized former Portsmouth, Bognor Regis and Havant hitman has opted to work on Saturdays instead of playing football.

In Blankley's book, it's a crying shame he is letting his talent go to waste. The Testwood Park boss said: "Nicky's only 23 or so and it's a pity if he's packing up football so early. I see lots of lads of about 35 sitting in pubs saying they could have played at this or that standard and I just hope Nicky doesn't look back one day and regret it."

Totton's first-choice goalkeeper Mark Watson should be fit to face his old club tomorrow after a spell out with a knee injury, but Rob Savage (broken arm) and Chris Marwood (knee) are definitely out, while experienced defender Stuart Ritchie needs another couple of weeks to get his troublesome Achilles right.

Fleet's tails will be up after Tues-day's heartening 2-1 Dr Martens League Cup win at Bashley in which in-form Army man Shaun Hale scored one goal and made the other for ex-Saints Academy frontman Shea Saunders.

Havant & Waterlooville loan striker Craig Leworthy - son of non-League legend Dave - sat that game out with a hamstring strain and is again doubtful for tomorrow, along with centre-half Lee Blakely, who has a bad ankle.