TOBY Nowell, a former hot-shot in local football, has hit the big time in Australia.

He played an integral part in helping Beaumaris secure promotion from the Victorian State League Division Two by scoring 25 goals – including three hat-tricks - in their 22 games.

That made him the league’s leading scorer and he was also voted the league’s best player.

The team also included goalkeeper Nathan Silver, the two ex-Woodcote Stoke Row and Reading Town players having travelled Down Under together.

Beaumaris senior football director Bruce Maclaren, recalls the pair had made contact with the club when they arrived in Melbourne.

They went pre-season training in January and both made an impression with head coach Marcus Stergiopoulos, a former professional player in both Australia and the UK, having played here for Bradford City and Lincoln City.

Maclaren told me: “They became mainstays of the team and both had stellar seasons. To be the league’s top goal scorer and best player of the season was an incredible achievement by Toby (pictured below).

“Nathan was also very influential. Apart from his obvious goalkeeping ability, he adapted incredibly well to the requirement under our coach to play out from the back in a similar style to Manchester City.

“A ball-playing goalkeeper was critical to the plan and he fulfilled his role superbly through the year.”

Beaumaris are hoping the pair will continue to play for them for the next season which starts in April.

Beaumaris has another connection with Reading as their former director of football, Aussie keeper Steve Mautone, played for the Royals in 1997-99.