Why Alex Titchiner is pivotal to Rhyl’s promotion ambitions this season

After three matches in the Cymru Alliance and four goals, a quickfire hat-trick this week. Rhyl’s new number 10, Alex Titchiner is the talk amongst the terraces at Belle Vue.

Questions have been asked if he’s the striker Rhyl need to make a return to the Welsh Premier League after the hometown boy signed for the Lilywhites this summer.

Titchiner’s five-minute treble against Queen’s Park was a hallmark to the kind of performances Rhyl players and fans have seen all too often from great strikers down the years, players such as Steve Lewis, Jason Oswell, Jamie Reed and Andy Moran were all prolific scorers during the glory days of years gone by.

The hope is for the former Crewe man to put in the type of match winning performances needed to secure a spot in the top flight yet again.

The Lilywhites have had a difficult time finding a 20 goal striker in recent years, with their top league goalscorer, and only player to reach double figures in the four seasons between 2013 and 2017 being Paul McManus in 2013/14, scoring ten times.

Titchiner’s pedigree in the Football League with Crewe and Fleetwood Town, along with high scoring spells at Witton Albion in 2011/12 and 2014-16 show he has the calibre to surpass the low numbers Rhyl strikers have put up in recent years, but can he be a title winning striker?

Last season, Alliance Champions Prestatyn Town also boasted the highest number of goals, and their main talisman Jordan Davies finished with 27, a year earlier it was Caernarfon as champions, with their striker Jamie Breese also scoring 27 times.

Llandudno were champions in 2015, but it was Jamie Breese taking his first golden boot award for relegated Llandiloes Town with 28 goals, Llandudno’s top scorer that season was journeyman Marc Evans with 21.

Recent stats seem to suggest teams need a striker scoring a minimum of 20 goals if they plan to be challenging for the title, but it remains to be seen if Titchiner can fire his hometown team to the top tier of Welsh football, but with his deadly finishing and the quality of service from the likes of Tom Rowlands, Alex Jones and Mark Connolly around him, he’s in a prime position to challenge for a golden boot.

(Featured Image: Ian Photo)