Gore confident Robins won't tempt Tibbetts (From Dudley News)

Gore confident Robins won't tempt Tibbetts

5:00pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in Football

TONY Gore is confident Dudley Sports will keep top-scorer Craig Tibbetts despite interest from Dudley Town.

The striker smashed 25 goals for the Hillcrest Avenue outfit last season and is already making his mark this term, having found the net seven times in nine games.

Unsurprisingly, his exploits have attracted interest from other clubs but joint-boss Gore is confident he won’t be interested in a move to the rival Robins, who have lodged a seven-day approach.

Gore said: “I don’t think they are capable of signing him. He won’t go, it would be a sideways move and there is no point in him doing that.

“They are not able to offer him a financial package and he is happy where he is.

“Over the summer he had offers from just about everyone except Brierley Hill chippy!

“But he chose to stay here. He started this season unfit but has got his head down and is now back to his best.”

Robins joint-boss Andy Burgess said their move for Tibbetts was motivated by the potential loss of Rion Francis-Mills, who is training with Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division side Stourbridge.

He said: “I like Craig as a striker, he is a bit different to what we have got.

“I don’t know him to speak to and I don’t know if he will come to us but we shall see what happens.”

Sports missed out on a point at Cradley Town last weekend following a rousing second half display, eventually losing 3-2 after being three down at the break.

They travel to Wolverhampton Sporting Community this Saturday.

Burgess, meanwhile, is also on the lookout for a centre-back following Town’s 3-1 defeat at Sporting Khalsa on Tuesday, where he described his defenders as “playing like a bunch of schoolkids”.

He added: “You can’t defend the way we did and win games.

“We were totally in control but not for the first time sloppiness at in the centre back position has cost us.

“There is no doubt the guys we have are good players but I think we need someone to marshall the defence.”

Town are away at Darlaston Town this Saturday.

Lye Town remain third in the West Midlands Premier League following their 1-1 draw with Wednesfield on Tuesday.

The Stourbridge Road side travel to Bustleholme on Saturday.