Blues have contingency plans for Jonte exit (From Surrey Comet)

Blues have contingency plans for Jonte exit

4:00pm Friday 30th November 2012 in Non-League By Stuart Amos

Met Police boss Jimmy Cooper has backed striker Allan Tait to fill the void likely to be left by on-loan striker Jonte Smith.
 

The 18-year-old Smith, right, scored his 23rd goal of the season as his penalty salvaged a 1-1 Ryman Premier League draw with Lewes at Imber Court on Saturday.
 

Smith, who sees his loan spell with Cooper’s men end on December 10, smashed a hat-trick as the Blues beat Walton Casuals 5-3 in the League Cup last week.

And the manager insisted ex- Kingstonian forward Tait would feature heavily in his plans when Smith returns to parent club Crawley Town.
 

“We cannot keep Jonte after December 10, so we are already thinking of our options,” he said.
 

“There were one or two Conference South clubs taking a look at him during the cup game against Walton, so we are not expecting to keep hold of him.
 

“Allan has scored six goals in nine games, so his form is good at the moment.
 

“We are talking to another centre forward with Conference South pedigree to replace Jonte.
 

“He is a class act to follow, but we have plans in place.”
 

The Blues have only won one league game since their FA Cup exit at the hands of League One Crawley earlier this month and sit 14th in the table.
 

And Cooper admitted his men must get their act together to launch a promotion bid.
 

“We had eight or nine players who had absolute shockers at the weekend and we cannot afford for that to continue,” he added.
 

“I don’t want to give my players an excuse but I think we are still suffering a bit of a hangover from the cup game.
 

“We have to find some wins soon. These draws are no good for us if we want to get back in the promotion race before Christmas.”
 

* Defender Craig Tanner had surgery on Tuesday to repair cartilage damage in his knee and is expected to be fit in the new year.