ST Neots Town manager Dennis Greene has thanked his new striker Ben Mackey for not making him look like he has “a screw loose”.

Mackey, who signed for the Saints after leaving Evesham Town midway through December, has now scored four goals in four games – two of which he started sitting on the bench.

Mackey made his debut for the club in the 4-1 home win over Fleet Town on December 17, before starting their brilliant 3-1 Boxing Day derby victory over fellow promotion challengers Biggleswade Town, during which he was subbed.

Then the 25-year-old played the whole of the 5-1 thrashing of Chalfont St Peter in Buckinghamshire, where he scored twice before his super-sub performance in the second half of Monday’s 5-3 win over Barton Rovers in front of 438 fans at The Hunts Post Community Stadium.

“I bought him on for Shane Tolley against Barton. Shane is a legend at the club,” said Greene, “and Mackey scored the last two goals. So he has taken the pressure off me.

“It is hard for a player to click with his teammates immediately but he has done brilliantly and so the fans won’t think I have a screw loose for signing him.”

Mackey broke a leg while playing for Corby Town in the Blue Square Bet Conference North division early last year – so his pedigree was good, but there were question marks regarding his fitness following almost 12 months on the sidelines.

However, four goals in 206 minutes (give or take some injury time) is a great return already. In fact, that’s just less than one goal per half a game.

“He has done great,” added Green, who will continue to rotate his forward line at Bedworth United on Saturday.

Indeed, Greene’s forward line looks extremely strong going into 2012: Stefan Moore scored six goals in those four games while Tolley also chipped in with another two. Even defenders Chris Hope and Jordan Gent were on target, while midfielders Adrian Sear and Dan Jacob got the others. They are now fourth.

Greene isn’t sure whether he will be risking all of his ‘big’ players next Tuesday however, when the Saints play St Ives Town at home in their Hunts Senior Cup semi final.

“It all depends on how we get on at Bedworth,” said the manager. “The squad is very thin on the ground at the moment.”

And one player who definitely won’t play in that match? Ben Mackey. He has a family do pencilled in for that day.