FAIRFIELD Villa are hopeful of finding a player to fill the boots of top scorer Connor Collins who has joined Halesowen Town.
The striker, who netted 44 goals in 39 matches in the Midland Football League Division Two last season, turned down a number of offers to sign for his home town club.
Despite losing one of their main threats in front of goal, Villa manager Paul Oakes said he was pleased to see Collins looking to progress his career.
“I hope he kicks on,” Oakes said. “He has scored plenty of goals, he wants to improve as a player and he is young enough to take things on board.
“He will get more specific coaching at Halesowen and he will be playing with better players, so I think he will flourish.”
Oakes said he also expected to lose strike Ellis Blakemore, who had been dual registered with Romulus, while fellow front-man John Pykett is set to jet off to Australia.
But Oakes added: “Obviously I am looking for a front three, but talented players are always out there.
“Lee Shaw and myself have been here for ten years and every year or two we go through a rebuilding process.
“We accept that we have got to replace them and we will do.
“We have done it a number of times before and I am confident we will do it again.”
