CARL Heeley said he would always prefer to have Leon Kelly on his side rather than against him.

So whether or not City supporters viewed Kelly's transfer deadline departure as a good or bad move, at least `King Carl' is a happy man once again.

As Heeley pointed out, Kelly is a defender's worst nightmare. One of the most daunting experiences for opponents is putting the brakes on the all-muscle striker as he powers towards goal.

With big chest and broad shoulders, it's little wonder centre-halves and full-backs come second best in one-on-one jousts with burly Leon.

His strength -- combined with fierce determination -- is a wonderful asset. It is no surprise a host of clubs wanted Kelly in their artillery once he became available.

On that score, City's loss is certainly Hinckley United's gain. And in the popularity stakes, Hinckley supporters young and old will cherish the big man's big heart if he shows the same levels of work-rate that City fans fondly remember during his almost three-year spell at St George's Lane.

Kelly was well-liked, especially among youngsters who queued after home games for his signature or a picture.

But despite all the affection, Kelly did not score enough goals. He notched 44 league and cup strikes from 141 appearances --a goal almost every three games.

It's not a bad record, although it's far from exceptional. Compared to City's other leading marksmen Adam Webster, 75 goals in 195 games, and Mark Danks, already nine in 13, Kelly trails behind.

A valid criticism of the 27-year-old, certainly for this season, is that he missed too many chances. Composure was lacking, a reason why many one-on-one opportunities, when coolness on the ball is a necessity, sadly went begging.

Delivering so few goals this term -- just six in Nationwide North -- explained Andy Preece's decision to discard the frontman.

Bought for an undisclosed four-figure fee, Birmingham-based Kelly would have been one of City's top earners too.

Moving on, Kelly has lightened the club's weekly wage bill, following the signings of Dennis Pearce, Mark Danks and Adam Burley.

If Kelly, Graham Hyde and Les Hines are no longer part of the manager's plans for 2006/07, why wait until May to offload the trio.

Preece has effectively issued his end-of-season retained list a month early, with possibly only one or two remaining players facing question marks over their future.