Play off place priority over goalscorers
Monday, 2nd Apr 2018“I don’t really care who is scoring the goals just now as long as we get into these play offs and take it from there.”
Nicky Clark scored his 18th, 19th and 20th goals of the season in the home victory over Queen of the South on Saturday and for the Pars striker was delighted that he had scored seven goals on his last three matches. It all seemed a bit barren prior to that haul and a record of just one goal from the previous ten matches. The 26 year old observed that football can be a crazy game at times.
“Personally I am delighted that the goals are coming my way just now. On a better note, the team is showing what we are capable of just now, we are scoring goals and getting the goals that we need.”
When you hit three it could be expected that one might be more satisfying than another but Nicky claimed they were all equally enjoyable.
“I don’t believe there is any such thing like a bad goal, I am delighted to get the three and the three points. At the second one I was maybe a wee bit lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I caught it well and it was good to see it hit the back of the net.
“It was important to be two up at half time because we never really started the second half well, we let them into it and Lee Robinson had two fantastic saves at 2-0 that kept us in it.
“They scored a goal where I don’t really know what happened but we dug in and kept fighting. I don’t think they had many other chances after the goal and then I was delighted to get the third one to finish the game off.
“It was a great ball in from big Ryan (Williamson), he pushed on in the 93rd minute. His energy levels are incredible! It was a good ball over the top from wee Dan (Armstrong) for Ryan and I think everybody was screaming for him to keep it in the corner. I saw him shape up to put the ball in the box so I took a chance and got in front of the defender.”
Allan Johnston praised the player who had hit as many as 38 goals for Queen of the South in taking them to the Scottish Second Division title in season 2012-13 while under Johnston’s charge there. The gaffer was delighted that Nicky has hit such good form at such a critical point of the season with just five matches remaining.
“It is obviously a good time to play well and score some goals. That is what we are doing just now, it is not just me it is the whole team. We are performing at a good level just now and the results are showing that.”
Nicky had the match ball signed by all his team mates just as he had done with all his previous six hat tricks. He started the season by heading four past Elgin City, collected three at Brechin earlier in the month and then another against Queens. With the signed ball tucked under his arm Nicky added:-
“I don’t really care who is scoring the goals just now as long as we get into these play offs and take it from there.”
The scoring habit has greatly helped Nicky’s game, he continued:-
“I am quite a confident person and go into each game thinking that I will at least get a chance to score a goal. Obviously it helps when you are scoring goals, your confidence is really high and round about the box you always think that you are going to score. Luckily for me that is happening.”
One game at a time was Clark’s approach and now he can look forward to Tuesday night’s visit from David Hopkin’s Livingston. He commented:-
“If we had lost on Saturday we might have struggled to get in the play offs but we are winning one at a time and we will be back in to be ready to go again on Tuesday.”
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