Striker Robbie Simpson welcomes frontline competition

Feb 19 2010 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

FIVE into two won’t go – but when it comes to the forward line, Robbie Simpson reckons Lee Clark has got his sums right.

Town’s quintet of frontmen have all featured at some stage of the last three games, against Brighton, Swindon and Carlisle.

And Simpson, who fired a hat trick as the reserves beat Rotherham 6-0 on Wednesday, is eager to discover which players will get the nod at Hartlepool tomorrow.

Jordan Rhodes and Lee Novak are the favourites after each scored in Tuesday’s impressive 2-1 League I victory at Carlisle which left Town just a point of the play-off places.

Novak’s cool sixth-minute finish took his season’s haul to nine, the same as Theo Robinson, who came on as a substitute in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Swindon.

And Rhodes’ 56th-minute header was the 18th goal of a highly impressive first Town campaign by the former Ipswich player.

Simpson has been battling it out with Rhodes, Novak and Robinson all season, and now there’s even more competition in the shape of Liverpool loanee Nathan Eccleston.

The 19-year-old made a fleeting appearance from the bench at Carlisle, having started alongside Simpson in the goalless draw at Brighton.

“The competition for places in most positions is fierce, but that’s the way it needs to be,” said the 24-year-old former Coventry man.

“You have to be switched on for every training session, never mind match, because when the chance comes, you have to be able to take it.

“For the forwards, Nathan’s arrival has made it even tougher, because he’s a very good young player.