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Striker on fire for Red Devils

Jonte Smith continued his remarkable goal scoring exploits in the Youth Alliance League at the weekend.The teenaged striker took his season tally to 14 goals in 15 appearances after netting a brace in Crawley Town Under-18s 2-1 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge.Smith broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when he unleashed a left-footed shot that soared into the roof of the net to make amends for an earlier miss after being sent through.The Bermudian footballer then grabbed a second with an angled shot into the bottom corner that capped a good build up involving team mates Nathan Daly and William Kouadio.The visitors set up a nervous finish when they pulled one back in the closing minutes of a match played on a tricky pitch.Overall, Smith was satisfied with his performance on the pitch and took great pleasure from scoring two classy goals with his weaker foot.“I had a good solid game and was pleased to score two good goals with my left foot,” he said. “The first involved some good team play and my second goal was a good left foot volley into the side netting.”Smith, who scored a hat trick in the Under 18s 5-1 demolition of Wycombe Wanderers in the English FA Youth Cup last month, continues to reap the rewards of a hard work ethic and devotion to refining his craft in his own spare time.“At the beginning of the season my dad (Clay Smith) had set a target for me of 15 goals by the end of the season,” he said. “But hard work and some extras in my own time have helped me to score 14 goals in 15 games, and it’s only halfway through the season.“We’re now looking at a new target to push me and keep me working hard for that professional contract.”Smith’s father, who won every major in domestic football with Vasco da Gama and North Village Rams during his heyday, is impressed with his son’s progress in the UK and has urged him not to rest on his laurels.“I am very impressed with his progress so far as he has practically reached the goal we set out for him at the beginning of the season,” he said.“He has done a tremendous amount of work on his own building himself up to help strengthen himself so that he can better handle the physical aspects of the English game. Now it’s about elevating his game to a new level and not resting on his laurels.”Prior to signing with the Red Devils the promising striker had a brief playing spell in the Ryman Youth League with Sutton United and has also trained with Nottingham Forrest, Stoke City and Burton Albion in the past.