Strikers’ friendly rivalry’s proving a positive for the Robins
THE race for the Bristol City golden boot was a topic of conversation in the dressing room at half-time against Reading on Saturday after Tommy Conway’s opener on his return from injury.
It was the 20-year-old’s 10th goal of the season in his breakthrough campaign to put him one behind strike partner Nahki Wells following three months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Unfortunately, Lucas Joao’s second-half header prevented Conway’s strike proving the winner but his 60-minute cameo was a positive.
The City duo, with 12 years between them in age, are providing each other with a source of motivation to claim the award at the end of the season. Manager Nigel Pearson is also using it as an incentive for the pair to find their scoring boots for the final seven games.
“The gaffer came up to me at halftime and said ‘how many are you behind Nahki now?’ I said ‘one’ so it’s in my mind,” Conway said after the draw against Reading. “We joke about it, and when the gaffer said that to me I think Nahki overheard it but it’s good competition because if we’re both scoring then the team’s going to be doing well. I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all, as long as we keep winning games, and if I can score along the way that’ll help. If I end up as the top scorer I’ll be equally as buzzing. If you told me that (hitting double figures) at the start of the season I would have said okay but let’s see where we get to.”
Conway sat facing questions with mixed emotions. To score after a lengthy spell on the sidelines was a reward for the hard graft put in to aid his recovery but he was deflated at the manner in which City threw away two points.
He added: “I just wanted to get the three points today and we haven’t been able to do that. I can score but if it doesn’t help the team win it puts me in that mood where I just want to keep winning and hopefully we can put that right on Friday.”
The striker admitted he found it difficult on the sidelines at times.
“Hopefully I can keep building on this now, building on my fitness and hopefully I can score more goals. The club wants to look after you and make sure it doesn’t happen again and in your head, you just want to play. When you speak to people, you need to see the bigger picture.
“There are eight games left, what’s the point in trying to rush back for one before the international break which could’ve happened but it didn’t. That break meant an extra two weeks of rest on my hamstring which enabled me to be available for this game and now looking back, I see that as well.”