TOWN chief Andy Ritchie is ready to pitch new loan signing Phil Jevons straight into action in tomorrow’s crunch League I home clash with Leyton Orient (3.00).
The Galpharm club pushed through the paperwork for the 28-year-old Bristol City striker shortly before yesterday’s 5.00 deadline.
And on a busy day, Ritchie extended midfield general Ronnie Wallwork’s loan from West Brom and allowed Northwich Victoria to take teenage frontman Lucas Akins for a month.
The manager has been chasing Jevons, who came through the Everton youth ranks at the same time as Town striker Danny Cadamarteri, for several weeks.
An injury meant the move for the Liverpool-born ex-Grimsby, Hull and Yeovil man, who has netted 88 goals in 255 matches (52 of them as a substitute) was held up.
But he’s raring to go now, and Ritchie, who had centre-back Richard Keogh on loan from Bristol City earlier this season, is delighted to have done business with them again.
“It’s good to get Phil here at last,” said Ritchie, who will run fitness checks over Andy Booth and Danny Schofield (both back) as he chases a perfect November record of five wins from five against the division’s second-placed side (Town are 11th).
“We’ve felt for a while that there was a bit of a void in the striking department in terms of experience.
“Phil’s scored a lot of goals in his career and he’s a clever player who links things well.”
Jevons, who will wear No14, isn’t eligible to play in the FA Cup second-round clash at home to Grimsby.
