Former Lincoln City striker Dayle Southwell has completed a move to county rivals Gainsborough Trinity following his release from Alfreton Town.
Southwell makes the Holy Blues his fourth Lincolnshire club, after starting out at Grimsby Town. The 29-year-old came through the ranks with the Mariners, spending time with Harrogate Town before a move to Boston United. He excelled for the Pilgrims and earned a move to League Two side Wycombe Wanderers. His playing time there was limited, and in early 2017, he joined Lincoln City on loan.
He had a debut to remember for the Imps, scoring within seconds of his first outing. That was in the FA Trophy, but in the League, he didn’t have quite as much success. He missed a penalty against Woking, a game City won 3-2, and he was hauled off against North Ferriby a couple of weeks later in his final appearance. However, in between, he played a crucial role in one of Lincoln’s proudest moments. It was Southwell’s corner that got deflected out of play at Turf Moor in the dying moments of their FA Cup Fifth Round tie with Burnley. It was Southwell infamously pushed out of the way by teammate Sean Raggett as he scored the winner.
He returned to Wycombe but did not play in the Football League again. He’s appeared for Guiseley, Halifax, and King’s Lynn before his recent stint with Alfreton. He joins a Trinity side that finished in the play-off places in the Northern Premier League premier division, only to be eliminated on penalties by Bamber Bridge.
“Obviously, Dayle is a fantastic signing,” said Neal Bishop. “Probably a statement signing. To be honest, I didn’t think we would be able to get him through the door. I knew about his qualities, as everyone did. He was a fantastic player in the division above. He played a lot of games for Alfreton who finished at the top end of that division, so I am really surprised that we were able to get him.”
Southwell will replace outgoing Football League veteran Clayton Donaldson, who hit 22 goals for the Holy Blues as they sought promotion back to the National League North.
Writer’s View
Southwell joined the Imps as a hot prospect, and his stint there got off to a great start. He might have gone back in the summer of 2017, but a deal never materialised and he wound up in the National League once again. Ambitious Gainsborough, managed by former Mansfield midfielder Neal Bishop, will be among the front runners for promotion, and at 29, Southwell should be a big player for them.
The move could benefit the Imps. They’ve sent players on loan to Trinity over the past couple of seasons, the most notable being Hayden Cann, who played a major role in their push up the table last season.
