Ryan’s keen to chip in with more goals
Maidenhead United FC: Midfielder wants Magpies to be more consistent
Motivated by his recent hat-trick against Staines Town, Ryan Upward is aiming to chip in with more goals and consistent performances for Maidenhead United in the 2021/22 National League season.
On Thursday (July 29), Upward contributed to exactly half of the Magpies’ six goal haul against Staines with George Wells, Reece Smith and Emile Acquah also finding the net at Wheatsheaf Park.
While he was pleased to have netted his first career hat-trick, midfielder Upward stated he wants to become a star performer for his side in the upcoming campaign and not just shine in preseason.
“I don’t really score too many so to get a hat-trick, especially in the first half, was pretty surprising,” said Upward.
“My timing of runs felt really good, my connection with the ball was decent, and just everything went for me.
“Now, I would love to take this hat-trick into the season and build on it.
“I have set myself a target of scoring at least nine to ten goals, and work on becoming more consistent too. Last season, I didn’t score enough, and I know I need to stop taking things for granted.
“I’m aiming to be more competitive in every game and take all the opportunities that come my way. Scoring goals is great for confidence and it’s a boost to take onto the pitch every week.”
Inspired by the club’s successful performances last season, Upward also insists the Magpies should aim to achieve a play-off position this year and believes boss Alan Devonshire is constructing the squad to accomplish that.
“It was a disappointment that we didn’t make the play offs last
season,” he said.
“We had a good enough squad to make it and we had a better chance than ever with the amount of wins we picked up against the top clubs in the division.
“But when it came to playing the teams at the lower end of the table, we just weren’t good at dealing with them and being the favourites to win.”
Upward added: “Last year was a
crazy year. We were blessed to even be allowed to play football and do what we love.
“There were a lot of positives so we’ve got to take them into this season now. We are continuing to strengthen the squad, and bring in some good players, so we should be pushing for those playoffs. That should be the lowest target for us this coming campaign.”