Archived News from July 2004
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MORE TRIALISTS FOR WOLVES CLASH
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Portuguese star among trialists for Wolves clash
CHAD website MANSFIELD Town will use tomorrow night's (Tuesday, 7.30pm) prestige home friendly with Championship side Wolves to have a look at four more trialists. Darren Barnard, Maceo Righters, Antonio Valente, and Hugo Leal will all play some part of the game, though another trialist, Marvin Robinson, is ruled out with an ankle injury. Portuguese midfield ace Leal (24) will raise the most eyebrows as the former Benfica player has played for the full Portugeuse national side and was regarded as one of his country's up and coming stars and once rated at £14m! He has also played for Athletico Madrid before a £5.5m move to Paris St Germain. Defensive midfielder Valente also hails from Portugal while Maceo Rigters is a Dutch striker. Left sided defender Barnard (32) was plucked from non-League Wokingham Town by Chelsea in 1990 and started 20 games for the Blues before building up an impressive number of games for sides including Reading, Bristol City, Barnsley and Grimsby Town. Despite being born in Germany and playing for England Schoolboys, Barnard is a full Welsh international, playing in both their Euro 2004 play-offs against Russia last season while with Grimsby. Amsterdam-born striker Rigters (20) was with leading Dutch side SC Heerenveen last season though little is known yet of Valente's background. "It will be a good test to throw them all in against a side like Wolves," said Curle. "I need them extending and you can't do that on the training ground or, with respect, against non-League opposition. "I want them testing and against Wolves it will give me a chance to see our weaknesses exposed, attacking or defending, and that is where John Gannon and I then earn our money in sorting them out. "Like Leeds and Stoke, the Wolves game is another good test and also something for supporters to come down and have a good look at the new additions to our squad. "I wanted three good games that would stretch us at Field Mill and we have given a good account of ourselves already against Rotherham, Stoke and Leeds this summer. "Then on Saturday I felt it important that the players are given a work-out away from Field Mill against a good standard side with good facilities which Bath City can provide." All three French trialists have now left Field Mill with no contracts offered. -------- mansfieldtown.net reports that Keith Curle has brought four more trialists into Field Mill. The four consist of Left back Darren Barnard from Grimsby, Antonio Valente a defender from Portuguese giants Benfica, Hugo Leal a 24 year old striker also from Benfica with lots of International experience playing for Portugal U18 &U21's & Senior squad currently at French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint Germain and Dutch Maceo Ritgers from Heerenveen. "We have contacted more foreign players after releasing the French lads last week. As I have mentioned before Ganns and I have a contact that is based in Europe and is able to source players that would otherwise be missed. These four players will all figure in some way against Wolves on Tuesday evening with Barnard most likely starting. This is where Preseason games come into their own. It is a good opportunity to introduce potential new players to the supporters but more importantly a great opportunity for us to extend the triallist. "You could look at a player all week long on the training ground and not get a real impression of what they are capable of, but in a competitive situation against good quality opposition it extends them and you get to see a good example of how they would cope in a real situation and the likes of Wolves should serve that purpose well." Curle told the official website. News on the other triallist at the mill Marvin Robinson is that the Stags will be extending his trial period as he is suffering an injury after picking up a heavy knock at Worksop Town last week. "I don't expect that Marvin would score Flamboyant goals but he his capable of picking up the 'bread and butter' goals - the ones that a make a difference at the end of the season. I am looking to build a strike force that will find the net in the final third and that can play of the likes of Colin Larkin and Derek Asamoah. Derek is one of those players that I saw last season and watching him warm up before coming on I thought this lad's going to cause us problems and this is the role I expect from him. Colin Larkin I believe is one of the best forwards in the final third that you will find in the third division and Chris Tate is always a danger in and around the eighteen yard box." With Tate being out of commission still after picking up a stomach bug this will be the two triallist opportunity to impress on Curle that they are suitable to wear the amber and Royal of Mansfield Town. Meanwhile Curle is still in the chase for the two Strikers mentioned previously. "I have heard that one of the players I ma after has to stop at his club a little longer because the number one choice has been injured and he is required to fill in, but I am hopeful of getting him to Field Mill sooner rather than later." Said Ciurle |
Latest | July 2004