Toll hits four for five-star Magpies

Magpies boss David Griggs admits he is ‘surprised’ that teenage striker Fletcher Toll is not being watched by any higher-league clubs.

Toll’s stock continues to rise after the youngster helped himself to another four goals in Heacham’s 5-2 victory over Cornard United this afternoon.

The 18-year-old, who also notched a brace in the 3-0 midweek victory over Holbeach United, has now scored 27 goals in all competitions as Heacham close in on an incredible eighth successive promotion.

Charlie Royle – another teenage frontman – capped a fine all-round display by opening his account for the club, but all the talk surrounded Toll on the final whistle as Heacham took another step towards automatic promotion.

Griggs said: “If anyone has come to watch the game today they’re probably asking why isn’t that lad playing at least two steps higher?

“He’s just totally outclassed the opposition today and his finishing was a joke. The third goal was stunning but they were all proper finishes.

“He was just in the right place at the right time and he does it in training too, but it’s just whether he gets those chances in a game.

“To be honest he should have had a fifth but it was a great save to be fair. We were starting to celebrate but the goalkeeper has plucked it out.”

The trio of Nathan Davies, John Flanagan and Toll have found the back of the net more than 60 times between them this season and Griggs revealed the togetherness of the changing room has kept the squad intact.

“We had Nathan (Davies) missing today but our front four are absolutely lethal at the minute and we’ve got Luke Gray back as well now.

“The camaraderie and spirit at the club is unreal. The togetherness here is unreal and that’s been a big reason behind our success of the last few years.”

Speaking about recent arrival Royle, Griggs added: “It was only a matter of time before he scored to get off the mark and it wouldn’t surprise me next week, either Saturday or Monday, if he went on to score a hat-trick. He’s another top quality forward and he’s only 16.”

Heacham were 3-1 up at the interval thanks to Toll’s treble inside the opening 35 minutes.

Royle, who on any other day could have easily had a hat-trick himself, scored the fourth before a sublime finish from Toll accounted for the home side’s fifth.

Play-off chasing Cornard replied with a second – but it failed to take the gloss off another fantastic performance from the Magpies who remain a point clear of Downham at the top with a game in hand.

Three more wins from their last four games and automatic promotion for the Magpies will be rubber-stamped.