VETERAN keeper Dave Felgate's has been told his RMI days are numbered.

Manager Steve Waywell has confirmed that the ex-Wanderers and Wales stopper is no longer first choice at Hilton Park and is free to find another club.

Young Craig Dootson, 21 years Felgate's junior, will take over as Waywell's number one as soon as he's shaken off a lingering knee injury.

The RMI boss says it's been a tough decision to make but one that had to be taken with a view to the future.

"At 41 years old Dave's not going to get any better and to be perfectly honest I think he's struggled at Conference level this season," Waywell says.

"Dave's been a great and loyal servant to this club over the last four or five years but I've got to look to the future. He's got 12 months left on his contract here and if he wants to stay on that's up to him, but he's not going to be first choice any more."

UniBond Premier Division side Runcorn have already made an approach but it's gone no further than that at this stage.

But Felgate will be around for a little while yet with Dootson still suffering knee pain after an operation earlier in the season. "He's getting some trouble with it," says Waywell. "We don't think there's a major problem but he's going back to see the specialist just to make sure."

Centre back Jamie Udall, out for the last six weeks with knee trouble is due to have a scan to find the full extent of the damage while 13-goal top scorer Tony Black had surgery to repair a hernia problem yesterday. He will be out for six weeks.

Waywell is working on a loan deal to bring in a teenage striker from Burnley to help compensate for the loss of Black.

Meanwhile, RMI will be keeping their foot on the pedal tomorrow when Stevenage Borough visit Hilton Park in a game brought forward from February.

"We set ourselves a target of 30 points by Christmas and with a couple of weeks to go we've got 28 - so we're bang on course," added Waywell.

"If we play as well as we did at Kingstonian last week, then we won't be far off taking three more points."

RMI will be back at Hilton Park on Tuesday when they meet Northwich Victoria in a Nationwide Trophy first round replay.

This week's FA Trophy third round draw has given Leigh a home tie against UniBond Premier Division side Hucknall Town. The game will be at Hilton Park on January 13.