Loan ranger!

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Tuesday 31st Jan 2006.

IFFY Onuora would ideally' like to add one more striker to his relegation-haunted squad after landing the signature of Loan Ranger' Trevor Benjamin.

The 26-year-old striker has signed for Town on loan from Peterborough until the end of the season, his ninth loan club in his career and his 13th in all, and will be in the squad for tonight's League One clash with Walsall at the County Ground.

But with top scorer Rory Fallon now at Swansea, Christian Roberts fighting a drink problem and youngster Ashan Holgate facing a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury, Onuora is keen to further add to his firepower.

With Benjamin's availabilty for tonight in doubt until late yesterday afternoon, the Town boss was almost forced to name teenager Lukas Jutkiewicz in the squad, highlighting his lack of striking options.

Any further signing before today's 5pm transfer deadline seems unlikely but, with an emergency loan deal still an option afterwards, Onuora will continue his search.

"It is still not ideal," said Onuora. "We are delighted to have Trevor in but that still really leaves us with just three experienced strikers in Benjamin, Lee Peacock and Jamie Cureton "Ashan is having problems with his knee and that leaves us with Lukas. We highly rate the lad but he is still young and it shows what a threadbare squad we have.

"In an ideal world I would still like one more striker but maybe I am being greedy.

"The emergency loan option is still a grey area to me as to what actually triggers an emergency loan.

"But if you have strikers injured or out, which we do, then I think you would be alright to get one in. After that I am more than happy with the squad we have got."

Benjamin, who moved to Leicester City in 2000 for £1.5m from Cambridge United, has played for a host of other clubs, including Crystal Palace, Norwich and Brighton, and has scored 59 league goals.

He scored one of his two goals this season in Peterborough's 2-1 LDV Vans Trophy win against Swindon in November, but has since fallen out of favour.

Onuora said: "He has maybe lost his way a bit but I think the Trevor Benjamin of four to five years ago was someone everyone rated highly.

"It can happen to players but this is a good opportunity for him and a good opportunity for us, to show he is still a good striker.

"He is still only 26 and is entering his prime. He is a strong lad, left footed and has a decent goal-scoring record. I don't know what has happened at Peterborough but he has always had goals in him."

Tonight's opponents, Walsall, are a club Onuora knows well having been the first-team coach there at the start of last season.

He said: "Two home games in the next five days are vital for us. A good result could kick start our season and could also suck Walsall back towards us."

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