Morecambe's new striker is tipped to shine for the Shrimps

Diarmuid O’Carroll has backed Courtney Duffus to be a success following his move to Morecambe.
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The striker joined the club from National League club Bromley this week, having agreed a two-year deal at the Mazuma Stadium.

The 25-year-old counts Everton, Bury, Oldham Athletic, Waterford and Yeovil Town among his former clubs.

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He became the 18th signing of a hectic summer for Morecambe boss Stephen Robinson, a process that hasn’t been helped by injuries to front men Jon Obika and Jonah Ayunga.

Courtney Duffus was announced as a Morecambe player on Thursday Picture: Morecambe FCCourtney Duffus was announced as a Morecambe player on Thursday Picture: Morecambe FC
Courtney Duffus was announced as a Morecambe player on Thursday Picture: Morecambe FC
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Their absences have increased the short-term workload on Cole Stockton, necessitating the swoop for Duffus.

While some eyebrows might be raised at the Shrimps’ decision to bring in a forward from two divisions below, O’Carroll believes it will prove a smart one.

The club’s first-team coach said: “Courtney is someone myself and the manager have known from our time at Motherwell.

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“He came close to signing there on a number of occasions, he isn’t someone we have panicked about.

“It’s the same with Jonah Ayunga. When Jon was injured, we looked at who was the best available and Jonah stood out.

“It’s the same again now and we’re just hoping we don’t have to look for anyone else.

“Courtney’s the same profile as the others. He carries the ball well, he holds it up well and he’s a threat in the box.

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“Hopefully, he can take a bit of the pressure off Cole’s shoulders.”

Ayunga had impressed in pre-season after making the move from Bristol Rovers.

However, he joined Obika on the medium to long-term injury list after the Carabao Cup win at Blackburn Rovers.

It had been described as an impact injury but O’Carroll has now revealed how it came about.

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He explained: “Towards the end of the game, he was bearing down on goal, cut inside to shoot and felt something in his knee.

“It’s not the standard thing you would injure in a knee but Farny (Simon Farnworth, physio), in fairness, knew what it could potentially be early on.

“Hopefully, he’s seeing a specialist in the next day or so but we’re thinking six to eight weeks - which is like Christmas compared to what we feared at the time.”

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