Experienced striker Lee Thorpe has joined Blue Square North leaders Fleetwood Town until the end the season.
The former Blackpool trainee, 34, was released by Coca-Cola League Two basement club Darlington earlier this week.
Micky Mellon moved quickly to snap-up the experienced front man but dismissed the new signing was in response to his side firing blanks in back-to-back defeats.
“Lee is the type of player we’ve been after for a while. He’ll be a bit more aggressive and get hold of the ball a bit more for us. He fits that bill and the opportunity came up to bring him in. This isn’t an immediate reaction to two clean sheets.”
Mellon is looking for Thorpe to use his league experience, which includes Lincoln City and Torquay United, to boost Town’s promotion push.
“I’m looking for the same type of impact Alan Wright’s experience brought to the group. Lee’s had a very good career with promotion campaigns under his belt. That sort of experience comes at the right time during our season. We do have a lot of younger lads in the squad and it’s sometimes easy to forget that fact. He’ll be able to help the younger players and bring the best out of them.”
“I’ve known Lee since he was a youngster at Blackpool and I’ve seen him progress through his career. This certainly is a very positive signing for the club. He’ll be involved with Saturday’s game and I look forward to working with him.”
Thorpe said: “I’m looking forward to Blue Square North action and scoring goals. I’ve been keeping an eye on Fleetwood and the five point gap is good. This is an important time for the club and I’m hoping to add something to the team. Hopefully I can add the experience I’ve gained from the promotions I’ve been through.”
Meanwhile, Tom Cahill has gone on loan to struggling league rivals Harrogate Town.
The loan agreement means the forward, who has scored four times for Fleetwood this term, cannot play against his parent club when the two teams meet at the CNG Stadium on 20th March.
