Prolific striker Toll signs for Corby Town

Striker Fletcher Toll will continue his football journey with Corby Town next season.Toll has agreed to join the Step 4 Steelmen, where he will link up with former King’s Lynn Town manager Gary Setchell who tried to sign him in January.The 20-year-old frontman plundered 40 goals for Heacham and Downham Town in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division last term and has found the back of the net 72 times since stepping into senior football at the age of 18.Toll is believed to have turned down interest from several clubs, including Lynn, where he spent last summer on trial.Speaking about his move, the youngster told the Lynn News: “I’m buzzing about the move to be fair, I’ve gone about football a different way to how others have gone through it.”I’ve gone through the steps rather than making a massive jump at once. It’s an exciting and new challenge for me.”I’ve made the move up from Step 7 to Step 6 and from Step 6 to Step 5, now I’m ready for Step 4. “Yes, I’ll be playing against better players, but I’ll also be playing with better players, so hopefully, that will bring the best out in me. “Gary sold the club to me. They’ve got a massive fan base and a big stadium. They want to get promoted this year and I want to be a part of that.”Steelmen boss Gary Setchell said: “I’m pleased to get Fletcher over the line. I met with him in January but he wanted to stay loyal to Downham, which in hindsight was a great decision for him as he went on to win the Golden Boot and starred in the Senior Cup final.”He is a bit of an old-fashioned centre forward. He is very strong, very clever and a good finisher. He’s not reliant on his pace like a lot of centre forwards these days.” The shrewd Corby Town chief, who also signed former Linnets defender Rory McAuley earlier this month, believes Toll will have no trouble adapting to his new surroundings.”The last step he took in his stride, but this is more than just a step up in football as it’s the travel and it’s the level,” said Setchell. “No disrespect to Heacham or Downham there will be a lot bigger crowds to deal with, but Fletcher is a real level-headed boy who I think will adjust to the surroundings and level quickly.”If he brings half the goals he has been scoring with him we will be very happy.” Toll’s decision to remain with Downham Town until the end of the season paid dividends as he helped the club to Norfolk Senior Cup glory by scoring a hat-trick against Gorleston Town in a 4-2 win at Carrow Road – his third treble of the competition.”When Corby came in in January, that was a big decision for me,” he admitted.”It was a case of do I leave to play a higher level or wait until the end of the season?”I think made the right decision and Gary (Setchell) even admitted that himself. You could see that with the way I played in the cup final. “Dale (Stokes) and Craig (Dickson) always said that I was too good to stay at the level and they wanted to help me progress to my next club.”They’ve been really good and everyone at Downham is happy for me.”Despite his incredible goalscoring exploits of the past couple of seasons, Toll still feels he has more to learn.”I’m not a complete player, so I’m always open to some advice and coaching here and there,” he admitted. “I need to get a bit fitter and need to start dribbling the ball a bit more. I’m very unselfish when it comes to playing football, I’d rather play one-touch, two-touch football rather than try to take five people on myself.”The youngster’s progress on the football pitch has been nothing short of remarkable considering he was struck down with the bone-eating infection osteomyelitis before the age of two, leaving him unable to walk.The rare disease ate through his hip leaving a hole the size of a five-pence piece and, at one stage, doctors feared they might have to amputate his leg.But Toll, with the full support of his family, has never lost hope of playing football at the highest level possible even though he was also struck down by Osgood Schlatters as a teenager.”Every time dad came home from work, I’d be straight in the garden playing from being able to walk,” he said.