3:30pm Thursday 26th November 2009
By Brian Owen
Craig Davies has revealed he turned down a possible loan extension in his quest to be a South Coast success.
Now Albion’s great striking enigma will be hoping for another FA Cup chance to set him on course.
Davies was handed his first start since April when Albion saw off Wycombe last Wednesday.
He might wonder whether Gus Poyet will give him a further chance to impress in this Saturday’s second round tie against Rushden.
Especially now Glenn Murray is banned and Nicky Forster has an injury problem.
If the call comes, he will hope to start seeing his eagerness to shine at Withdean pay off.
Ten months after coming south, the bustling frontrunner finds himself in a curious position where his Albion career has neither taken off nor been written off.
Micky Adams said Davies was a player who intrigued him when he signed him on a two-and-a-half year contract last winter.
Former Seagulls striker John Byrne is another who sees qualities there.
But Davies struggled to get a look-in under Russell Slade, losing his place and going on loan to Yeovil.
“Its no secret that in the last couple of months I felt there was nothing else I could have done to get myself more in the frame,” Davies said.
“It’s different now. I’ve got to really pick myself up again.
“He (Poyet) has only been here a short time and I’ve already played one game. I’m happy with that.
“I did well down at Yeovil. I was playing on the right-hand side and they were quite pleased with me but I only wanted it to be for a month. I wanted to fight for my place here.”
The Wycombe replay summed up Davies’s fortunes with the Seagulls to date as he ran, worked and harried but was unable to top it off with a goal.
In the initial tie at Adams Park, he had a blistering late drive ruled out for offside.
Davies said: “I was pleased to get 90 minutes under my belt but I was quite disappointed in myself. I thought I could have done better.
“I only had two starts on loan at Yeovil but hopefully I can keep on grafting and get some luck from somewhere and things will start happening for me.
“The manager has played the game at the highest level. He knows what he is on about.
“He has given me and the other strikers bits of advice but we have got to take that on board.
“He says keep it simple. Don’t make it complicated.
“Take a couple of touches, give it out wide, get in the box “Around the box is where you’ve got to do things, get your shots off.”
He added: “Hopefully I can get some kind of good form, get back to playing how I know I can.
“Maybe get ten or 12 goals by the end of the season. I know personally I can do it. It’s just getting a little bit of confidence, back to what I know.”
And that means back to the periods Davies sees as the reference points of his career so far.
“Last season at Stockport, the year before at Oldham,” he said. “There were times then I was so confident.
“I’d go into games back then and I knew I’d give the defenders trouble.
“That hasn’t happened so far here but I’m sure it will.”
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