PERSHORE Town have been handed a timely boost ahead of the festive fixtures after top scorer Jamie Clarke rejected a move to title-chasers Bromsgrove Sporting.
GB Deaflympics striker Clarke has bagged ten goals in 14 games for Town since joining in the summer from Littleton and was targeted by Midland League Division One rivals Sporting.
Clarke has returned from working in America and, after talks with Town boss Quentin Townsend and Sporting counterpart Paul Smith, the former Evesham and Studley player has decided to stay at the King George V Stadium.
“It’s good news – I sat down with Jamie and he said he wanted to stay at Pershore,” said Townsend.
“He has got a lot of friends here and he is a big part of what we are trying to achieve. We want to build and progress and having players of the calibre of Jamie Clarke will help us do that.”
Clarke will be back for the first time in almost two months when Pershore head to Southam United a week on Saturday.
Town have no game this weekend and will have to wait another week to bounce back from Saturday’s frustrating 1-0 defeat at Coventry Copsewood in which they ended with nine men.
Sub Steve Roche was sent off shortly after missing a great chance to fire Pershore ahead and, having conceded the only goal of the game ten minutes from time, it got worse when James Walker was red-carded for hauling down a Copsewood player as the last man.
“It was a frustrating game,” said Townsend. “It always had the look of a match where one goal would decide it.
“A moment of madness from Steve gave Copsewood the advantage and they took it. I can’t lay all the blame on Rochey. He knows he did wrong and he has apologised.
“But we still should have had enough to see out the game. We didn’t and we ended another game feeling frustrated.
“I have to sit down and think why that has been the case in too many games this season.”
Meanwhile, midfielder Ollie Casey has exited Pershore.
Casey had been one of the first signings to follow Townsend when he was appointed manager 14 months ago but he has been on the bench in the last few games.
It seems likely Casey could make a move to former club Studley.
“Ollie hasn’t been happy on the bench and I can understand that as he wants to play regularly,” said Townsend.
