COMING into the business stage of the season I have to say the forward options we have at the football club at the moment are fantastic.

Simon Cox has been on a great run of form recently and is probably the first striker on the team-sheet at the moment because of that.

But alongside him Marc-Antoine Fortune is also really stepping up to the plate.

It was another important goal he scored at Oxford on Tuesday night and he has three goals in his last five games now.

Breathing down their necks is Theo Robinson and I was delighted he got his first goal since coming back in our 2-0 win at Oxford.

It sealed the win and continued the good start Theo has had with us since signing on deadline day.

Nile Ranger also got back onto the pitch at Oxford but he’s looking to make up for lost time.

He’s had a stop-start season, largely down to his own accord, but it was good to see him play the full 90 minutes and score a goal in an in-house friendly we had among ourselves yesterday.

All strikers can do is work hard and score goals and that’s exactly what Nile did.

Frank Nouble also scored while David Mooney played an hour or so on his return from an ankle injury and that means we have six very strong strikers which is great strength in depth.

In fact, without being disrespectful to players like Barry Corr, I think this has to be the most potent group of strikers I’ve had in my four years with Southend.