Alan In White-Hot Form

In his short time in a green and white shirt Alan White has already endeared himself to the Croft Park faithful, not only for his commanding performances at the back but also for his potency in the opposition box.

He got on the score sheet for the second time since his arrival in February against Vauxhall Motors on Saturday, and believes that chipping in with a fair share of goals should be compulsory for any central defender.

White said. "I normally score in fits and starts and usually get about five or six a season which I suppose is a decent return for a defender.

"It should be a big part of your game really, as a centre half I go up for every corner and set piece and it's important to get on the end of a couple, you've got to put your share in."

The former Darlington and Luton Town player has made over 400 appearances in the football league and has had no trouble settling in at Croft Park.

He said. "I knew Mick Tait anyway from my Darlington days and a couple of the lads who were in the youth team there like Dan Groves and Liam O'Mahoney.

"They are a really good bunch of lads and we seem to have quality in every position."

Having played at professional level since the age of seventeen, making the transition from full-time to semi-professional has taken some getting used to for White.

He said. "I was used to getting up and going to training every day but now I've got to go out and do it myself and footballers aren't generally the most disciplined of people anyway.

"We might only train once or twice a week here but luckily we've had a lot of midweek games since I've arrived which has really kept us going.

White added. "I've enjoyed the football side of it but I suppose it's the day-to-day stuff I miss like going into training and having a routine."

The old guard at the back has provided a solid base for which Blyth have built their recent run of good form on. And Alan White has the utmost respect for his defensive partner of late, Chris Swailes.

"I've known about Swazz (Swailes) for a long time, he's obviously been around for a bit and played at a good standard.

"He's a very good player so it was never going to be difficult to strike up an understanding with him."