Mintcakes boss won’t rush starlet
KENDAL Town manager Jimmy Marshall is backing raw sharpshooter James Bailey to climb higher up the Pyramid – but says patience will be key in getting the striker to reach his full potential.
Bailey, 24, stepped up four divisions to join the Mintcakes this summer after scoring more than 70 goals in two seasons for West Lancashire League Division Two side Walney Island.
And the gamble has paid off with the hitman having netted 19 goals in his opening 18 games for the North West Counties Premier Division promotion hopefuls.
League Two Barrow have already paid a visit to Parkside Road to run the rule over their local hotshot, while NPL Premier side Workington and Lancaster City are also keeping tabs. As a result, Kendal responded quickly by tying the striker down to a contract but Marshall accepts he may not be able to stand in the striker’s way for much longer.
Attitude
“I think he can go higher,” Marshall told The NLP. “When people say to me, ‘he’s only done it the West Lancs Division Two’ but once you’ve got that predatory instinct and you know where to be and you’re playing with better players, it’ll bring the most out of you.
He’s a massive commanding figure and he’s superb in the air. He’s just got that knack of the timing and he knows where to be in the right place at the right time and he’s got a great attitude.
“We contracted him due to interest from clubs higher up the pyramid who put in seven-dayers [approaches] for him. They wanted him early on. Contracting him was the best thing for him to do at the time and it was the best thing for us to do as a club.
“You need to get a full season under your belt and if you continue to do it, you break the 30-goal mark and t
