PHIL JEVONS returned to full training today with a big incentive to impress.
While tomorrow’s reserve game against Wolves at Telford could come too soon for the 28-year-old calf-injury victim, the final Pontin’s League game, against Leicester at the Galpharm next Monday evening, is a genuine target.
And that could provide a passport to a first-team return for the experienced striker on the final day at Luton a week on Saturday.
The former Everton, Grimsby, Yeovil and Bristol City man hasn’t played since limping out of the 2-1 defeat at Hartlepool on March 11.
But he’s had a solid spell of individual work under physio Lee Martin and is now ready to step things up and join the rest of the squad.
Caretaker manager Gerry Murphy, who will seek a third successive League I win when Walsall visit on Saturday, is keen to see Jevons back on normal duty.
“Phil’s a good, experienced player,” said Murphy of the man who has netted eight times since switching to Town from Bristol, initially on loan, in November.
“I still don’t think we’ve seen the best of him, but with a good pre-season under his belt, I think he’ll impress next time around.
“He’s had a couple of injury problems this season, but he’s worked hard on his rehab and hopefully he’ll get back into full training without any problem.
“We’ll be guided by Lee (Martin), and if Phil’s considered ready for some kind of run-out against Wolves reserves, so be it.
“Otherwise, we’ll look to the Leicester game and the possibility of an appearance down at Luton.
“It would be great if Phil could manage that, because it would provide a lift ahead of what is going to be a very important close-season for him and the squad as a whole.”
Murphy, meanwhile, is hoping midfielder James Berrett and versatile defender Frank Sinclair will be in contention for the Walsall clash.
Teenager Berrett missed Saturday’s 1-0 home win over Tranmere after jarring a knee in training the day before.
Sinclair, an unused substitute in Murphy’s first match in charge at home to Doncaster, has been absent from the subsequent three League I games because of a calf strain.
TOWN have already topped the 4,000 barrier in cut-price season-ticket sales.
The special offer has been running since last Wednesday.
This time last year, it took three weeks to sell 3,000!
