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Farnborough boss Day delighted to land Connolly
By Jon CouchDecember 20, 2012
SPENCER DAY reckons he has one of non-league football's hottest young properties in Reece Connolly.
The 20-year-old striker ended a long, drawn-out transfer saga by joining Farnborough in a unique deal worth in excess of £12,000 from neighbours Aldershot Town.
Connolly, who had scored 21 goals in two successful loan spells at Cherrywood Road, had attracted interest from a number of clubs, including big spenders Eastleigh, on returning to the EBB Stadium earlier this month.
But after a prospective club owner fronted up the cash to match and even slightly better Eastleigh’s offer, and a mystery fan put the money forward to lift a transfer embargo hanging over the club, Aldershot granted Connolly his wish to join Boro permanently and rebuild his fledgling career with his local club in Blue Square South.
Ironically, Connolly, like the rest of his Boro strike partners, suffered a rare off day in front of goal as Boro were crushed 3-0 at home by Boreham Wood on Saturday.
But Day was still delighted with his new acquisition, saying: "I’ve not only got myself one of the best strikers in the division but I’ve also got myself a young man with a fantastic attitude and desire to play for me and for Farnborough. He's an excellent asset for this football club.
“Reece is an extremely popular figure in the dressing room, you could see that in the response of his team-mates when the deal was announced.
"He’s got a good solid family and agent around him and I firmly believe he will go on and enjoy a big Football League career in a couple of years time.”
Day likened Saturday's defeat to the Battle of the Alamo after his Boro side largely dominated but came away empty-handed in an entertaining clash of two teams deservedly in play-off contention.
Boro went into the game as the division’s second leading scorers with 36 goals, while Boreham Wood boasted the meanest defence, having conceded just 14.
Something had to give and in the end it was Boro who succumbed amid a series of missed chances and fine goalkeeping from Wood stopper James Russell, who twice denied Connolly in a one-on-one and produced fine stops to deny Dan Bennett, Dave Tarpey and Nic Ciardini.
“It was just one of those days,” Day conceded after Wood swept home thanks to a sixth-minute opener from Omar Riza and two goals in as many minutes in the second half from Luke Norris and Greg Morgan.
“We absolutely battered them for 60 minutes, it was like the Alamo, they couldn't get out of their half.
"But for some reason it just wouldn't go in for us, we were hit twice on the break and it was game over.
"It’s a perfect smash and grab but you’ve got to give them credit, that's why they’re a good side.”
Day has injury doubts over Ciardini and Elvis Hammond for Saturday’s trip to Dorchester Town, while centre back Dean Inman serves the last game of his loan period before returning to Hampton & Richmond.
Day is hoping to tie up a permanent deal for Christmas but it may been at the expense of two or three fringe players to free up his budget.
BORO: Bradshaw, Huggins (Moody 73), Treacher, Inman, Inns, Jones, Bennett, Laidler (Abalima 78), Connolly, Tarpey, Ciardini (Hammond 59). Subs: Norris, Bosch. Att: 451.
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