Pics: Garry Griffiths and Andy Nunn
STOURBRIDGE boss Gary Hackett reckons returning striker Luke Benbow can fill the void left by Evo-Stik NPL Premier top scorer Karl Hawley.
Veteran forward Hawley, who signed last summer from Alfreton Town, has left the Glassboys to take up a coaching role with League Two side Mansfield.
Replacing Hawley’s 31 goals was always going to be tough, but in Benbow, 24, Hackett has a player who scored 20 for league rivals Rushall Olympic last term.
He joined the Pics from Stourbridge last summer, following three years at Amblecote in which he netted 57 times.
Niggling injuries have plagued Benbow’s career so far, but Hackett is confident he can stay fit and fire in the goals for the Glassboys once again.
“Luke is somebody I know very well and he’s had some very good times at Stourbridge with a prolific scoring record,” Hackett told The NLP.
“In his last spell, he had a few months when he wasn’t quite fit enough and it didn’t work out, but we left on very good terms.
Sharpish
“Luke is the type of lad who is affected when he misses games. We’ve got some different fitness regimes drawn up for him and he’s come in for pre-season looking really sharp.
“Up until Christmas, he was the leading scorer in our league, so if we can keep him fit he’ll score goals with the amount of chances we create.
“Karl always thought a job might come up for him at Mansfield and we had to act pretty sharpish to get a replacement. It was a no-brainer for Karl. He enjoyed his season with us and we got a lot out of him.”
Hackett has also strengthened in other areas of the pitch, bringing in Benbow’s former Rushall team-mates Jake Heath, a central midfielder, and centre-back Jack Duggan.
Former Halesowen Town, Barwell and Leek Town attacker Aaron Daniels is the fourth new addition for the Glassboys this summer as they look to better last season’s sixth-place finish.
They missed out on the play-offs by only two points after runs to the FA Cup second round and FA Trophy third round meant a gruelling end-of-season schedule.
Hackett is still hoping to add a couple more to his ranks but believes the quality he has added to the squad so far should stand them in good stead.
“We had a good season last year and, yes, we did just miss out on the play-offs, but we played a huge amount of games and we tired out,” he said.
“I knew we needed a few fresh faces in particular areas and I feel I’ve bought them in. If there are other players who we feel can improve the squad for the right money, we’ll take a look.
“If we started the season with the squad we’ve got today, that wouldn’t be a problem. Our aim is to improve on last year and I think we’re very capable of doing it.”
