Taylor set for Eastleigh return (From Daily Echo)

Taylor set for Eastleigh return

10:59am Wednesday 26th August 2009 in

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JAMES Taylor’s appearance for AFC Totton in their 1-0 win at Hungerford Town last night could be his last for a month for the Stags.

The no-nonsense targetman is being lined up for a return to his old club Eastleigh as loan cover for ankle victim Jamie Brown, who is highly doubtful for Saturday’s visit of Blue Square South leaders Dover Athletic.

In return, Totton would loan Eastleigh’s live ly, young frontrunner Brett Williams who has so far failed to match the highs of last season and could do with regaining some confidence in a lower league.

For Taylor, 35, the proposed loan deal would mark his second spell at the Silverlake follow ing a brief stay under Paul Doswell’s charge in 2005/06.

Ironically it was current Eastleigh boss Ian Baird who had allowed him to leave Havant & Waterlooville where he was likely to play sec ond fiddle to Dean Holdsworth. But that deci sion soon backfired when Holdsworth left the Hawks to become assistant manager of Derby County After Eastleigh, Taylor spent nearly three years with BS South rivals Basingstoke Town before joining Totton last season and top-scor ing with 29 goals in their march to the Southern 1 South & West play-offs.

Given his record last season, Totton support ers may question the decision to loan him out, but Stags’ director of football Mick Budny explained: “We’re trying to play a fast counter- attacking style and we need our supporting strikers to be quick, so it might suit someone like Brett Williams more than it does James.

Also it gives our young striker Nathan Lynch an opportunity to learn the ropes.

“From a squad point of view, we lose goal keeper Gareth Barfoot to a four-match suspen sion on Saturday and Eastleigh are going to let us have Dan Loader to replace him. Eastleigh are helping us out with a keeper and we’re help ing them out with a big, experienced target man.”

Clarifying Eastleigh’s position, director of football Dave Malone said: “Jamie Brown’s injured at the moment, probably longer. His ankle’s up like a balloon.

“Andy Forbes, Richard Gillespie and Brett Williams are one type of forward and Jamie and James Taylor are another. We need to mix it up a bit and we feel a change of environment will do Brett good for a month.”

Totton striker Nathaniel Sherborne started in place of Mark Osman at Hungerford last – and scored inside a minute.

Taylor helped on Aidan Lewis’s pass and Sherborne nipped in front of the defence and drilled the ball clinically into the far corner.

With Totton dominating first-half affairs, Sherborne lifted another chance over when it was easier to score and Adam Wilde screwed a left-foot shot wide.

Hungerford had more of the possession in the second half and would have equalised at the death but for a Gordon Banks-like save by Barfoot.

Totton, though, still created more chances with Sherborne lifting his shot wide in a one- on-one and both Ian Richardson and the out standing Ross Bottomley denied by goalline clearances.