‘He needs a bit of stability and he needs to play football’ – Ryan Pennery set for Moneyfields debut against former club Baffins in Wessex League derby

The 26-year-old striker is set to return to the club where he made his Wessex League debut as a teenager under Miles Rutherford in 2013/14.

A seven days notice of approach to AFC Portchester expires at lunchtime on Tuesday, and Moneys boss Glenn Turnbull expects to name the player in his matchday squad for the following evening’s Wessex League derby at the PMC Stadium.

Since the start of last season, when he was returning from an ACL injury, Pennery has played for AFC Totton, Gosport Borough, Chichester City and Portchester.

He had a short spell at Portchester in the first half of last season before returning to Gosport in December.

Pennery only managed one Southern League goal for Boro before being reunited with Rutherford at Chichester in the summer.

He scored on his Chichester debut this season in a 4-0 FA Cup win over Frimley Green - recent Moneys signing Eric-Georges Dellaud also netting in that tie.

However, he subsequently signed for Portchester, whose manager Dave Carter had taken him back to Moneys ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

After just three starts and three sub outings, though, Pennery is poised for a third spell at Moneyfields.

‘Ryan needs a bit of stability and he needs to play football,’ said Turnbull. ‘I’ve known him a long time, he was part of the forward line when Pete (Seiden) and I took Moneys reserves - it was Ryan, Dec Seiden and Callum Dart up front.

‘Ryan’s a blend of all of them - he’s got Dec’s ability to twist and turn, he’s a good finisher and he’s no slouch. He just offers something different to everyone else (at Moneyfields).

‘He’s given me his word he’s committed for the season and hopefully he will enjoy it to stay (for 2023/24).’

Pennery’s breakthrough season came in his first Baffins campaign of 2016/17, belting a startling 48 league and cup goals in just 46 starts.

He was the top scorer in Division 1 of the Wessex with 39, from 38 starts, as Rovers won promotion as runners-up in their first season of step 10 football.

Those goals earnt Pennery a move to the Southern League, and he was top scorer for Gosport in 2018/19 with 24 goals.

At his best playing off a central striker, Moneys have two such forwards - Steve Hutchings and Callum Laycock - who can hopefully bring the best out of him.

Pennery is Turnbull’s third recent signing, after Dellaud and Charlie Bell.

‘I thought the squad was set but you can’t look gift horses in the mouth,’ said the manager. ‘On paper, all three improve us as a squad.’

Tom Cain, Harry Sargeant, Dellaud and Hutchings are all expected to be included in Wednesday’s squad after missing the weekend 5-0 Russell Cotes Cup win at Paulsgrove.

Turnbull is searching for his first managerial win at the PMC Stadium, with Moneys having twice lost there last season - 2-0 to Baffins in the league and 4-1 to Gosport Borough in the Portsmouth Senior Cup final.

The trip to Baffins is Moneys’ 10th successive away league game of the season, and their 17th in all competitions due to the John Jenkins Stadium development being behind schedule.

As it stands, they will have played 22 successive away fixtures by the time they host Bournemouth Poppies on November 26 - which at present is down on the official Wessex League website as a home game.

At least a trip to Baffins is as local as it gets, with next Tuesday’s Portsmouth Senior Cup tie against the Royal Navy another simple trip.

Not so the Tuesday evening slog to Shaftesbury in north Dorset on November 8!