Ian Bates employed novel tactics this week in a bid to ward would-be suitors away from Wembley’s leading scorer Tatsuya Fujioka.

The diminutive Japanese winger bagged a brace as the Lions returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over high flying Frimley Green on Tuesday night – a result which went some way to easing the pain of their 3-0 defeat in the FA Trophy at Cockfosters 72 hours earlier.

The composure of Fujioka’s finishes caused Bates to ponder how long he can keep hold of his far-eastern gem.

Yet, while the Wembley boss knows Fujioka is gifted, he believes size matters in non-league football, so questioned whether his charge has the physique to survive further up the pyramid, citing former Lion Daryl Atkins’ struggle to make the grade at AFC Chalfont St Peter as proof of his case.

He said: “Tats just pops up in the right place at the back post and it is something we work on. How long we can keep him may be a different story.

“If you come down and watch him you would say yes he’s really good. Could he do it higher where it is a bit more physical? I don’t know.

“He is technically talented, but physically small and the higher you go the stronger it gets.

“Maybe one level up he would get away with it, but Daryl Atkins was the same kind of player and he did not really settle at that level.

“I think Tats goes back home after he finishes college this year so hopefully we keep him for the season and that will be it.”

Ian Bates

Bates can ill-afford to lose his eight-goal wide man in a team which has only strugglers Bedfont Sports below it in the league scoring charts this season and he claims the lack of a lethal finisher is holding his side back.

He said: “The Vase game Saturday we could have been 6-2 up at half-time yet they went in 1-0 up, then there were a few mistakes.

“We still need a striker even though the boys up there are doing everything right it is always about goals. An instinctive striker is what you need, but it is money isn’t it.”

Wembley outplayed Frimley in Tuesday’s action on a home pitch which held up well in monsoon-like downpours which abandoned games elsewhere.

However, therein lies another problem for Bates who knows his side must learn to win on surfaces which do not suit their passing brand of football, Saturday’s visit to Ash United being a case in point.

He added:  “Saturday is a tough one on an awful pitch. We call it Lake Ash. I may have to change to something a bit more solid down the middle to start it off and wear them down, then throw the quick boys on, we’ll see – hopefully it stops raining.”