Former Portsmouth midfielder Charlie Bell responding to Moneyfields’ ‘cuddling’

The former Portsmouth hopeful linked up with Moneys earlier this month - his third club of the 2022/23 season.

After beginning the campaign at Bognor Regis Town he spent a very short spell with another Isthmian Premier League outfit, Horsham.

But Bell then decided to drop down two tiers of the non-league pyramid to sign for Moneys, whose manager Glenn Turnbull lives in the same road as he does.

Bell’s goal in last night’s 3-1 Wessex Premier derby win at Baffins Milton Rovers was his fourth in as many starts for the club.

Two of those, however, were against Hampshire Premier League opposition in Paulsgrove in the Russell Cotes Cup last weekend, and one was a penalty.

Still, Turnbull has been delighted with his new signing’s start to life in the ninth tier.

‘I’m a bit thankful he didn’t take all his chances against Christchurch and Alresford, there would have been a massive spotlight on Charlie then,’ he quipped.

‘He’s settled in well, and I know he’s here until at least Christmas because he’s bought his Winter Wonderland ticket!

‘We’ve given him a bit of a cuddle, made him feel loved and getting him enjoying his football again. And I still think he’s only 60 or 70 per cent match fit.’

In his brief time at Moneys, Bell has appeared in three different roles - on the right side of a three behind a central striker, in the centre of the three, and as part of a central midfield pair.

‘If I wanted to play him at centre half he would do ok,’ said Turnbull. ‘It’s a case of getting his sharpness and his fitness back.’

The same applies to another new signing who is also onto his third club of the season, striker Ryan Pennery.

After spells at Chichester and Portchester, Pennery made his latest Moneys debut as a second half sub at Baffins.

He is now likely to start in this weekend’s Wessex Premier trip to Fareham Town.

Turnbull remarked: ‘If you asked Ryan where would he want to play if I picked a system around him, he’d probably say up front in a 4-4-2 alongside Steve Hutchings or Callum Laycock.

‘He could also play in a 3-5-2, he would see himself up front.’

Moneys have been playing with one central striker at times this season, though, with an attacking three behind either Hutchings or Laycock.

Both Pennery and Hutchings – two players who would walk into most other Wessex League XIs - started on the bench at Baffins, and Turnbull added: ‘I’ve probably got a few more players than I expected.

‘But as I’ve said before, I couldn’t look gift horses in the mouth. When Charlie Bell became available, I had to try and get him in.

‘Same with Ryan Pennery. People say it’s a gamble, that’s he not the Ryan Pennery pre-ACL injury. That may or may not be true, we’ll find out. But again, I didn’t feel I could pass up the opportunity to sign him.’

Full-back Eric-Georges Dellaud could return to the squad this weekend after missing the last two games with an injury picked up playing for Chichester.