Rovers striker delighted to show what he can do
AFTER a frustrating start to life at Bristol Rovers, Jonah Ayunga spoke of “relief ” after bagging a brace in the 3-1 win over Portsmouth on Tuesday.
The Kenyan striker sparked the comeback at the Mem with a firsthalf double, both lashed into the net with his left boot, to send Rovers on their way to their first win in 11 games and two points clear of the bottom four.
He joined from Havant & Waterlooville in the summer after starring for the sixth-tier side, but since scoring in the EFL Trophy in October his Rovers career has stuttered due to a two-month hamstring injury and a pair of managerial changes.
But on Tuesday, in just his second start, he proved he is more than capable of impacting games in League One.
“I’ve been waiting so, so long for that moment,” Ayunga admitted. “I came in the summer feeling good and feeling fit, and then I was out injured for nine weeks. It’s felt like an eternity, but I’m just happy to be starting again.
“There was just a feeling before the game. Tommy (Widdrington) said in there just win your individual battles, and I don’t think there was a player who lost their battle and we’ve got the result to show for that.
“I faced him up and I just knew that I can shift it and hit it, which I did. The second one was just instinct, touch and finish. That’s the two goals and I’m happy with them. I scored a lot on my left last season, I can go either way.
“It’s a relief for me to finally show what I can do, and hopefully I can build on it.”
The 23-year-old’s brace came seven days after Paul Tisdale’s final night in charge of the Gas, when the ex-boss aired concerns over Rovers’ striking resources.
But Ayunga says he paid little attention to the noise as Rovers endured a 10-game winless run, and he has always remained confident his talent will shine in the blue and white quarters.
“We’re not going to listen to that because we know what we can do, it’s just getting the chance and believing in ourselves to do what we can do,” he said. “It’s been a long four months (since my last goal). I spent more than half of that out injured. It’s only my second league start.
“It’s been a long time coming and it’s been hard to play the game I know I can play, coming off the bench here and there, but I was happy to get the start and show what I can do for the first time.”
Rovers’ striker shortage has been the hot topic of the season, with the club leaving the January transfer window without attacking reinforcements.
James Daly and Brandon Hanlan, with four and eight goals to their name respectively, have showed glimpses of their promise this season, but neither are classic number nines. Ayunga, however, is blessed with pace, power and a muscular frame which can cause any defender problems at this level, just ask the highly-regarded Pompey centreback Sean Raggett.
Rovers have lacked a focal point up front since the departure of Jonson Clarke-Harris before the season began, but the early signs of maturation in Ayunga’s game are hugely promising for Rovers’ hopes of avoiding relegation.
The 23-year-old was clearly fired up against Pompey, giving their defence a torrid evening in BS7, and
Rovers looked much more cohesive going forwards with the presence of a target man. I know what I can do,” Ayunga said. “It’s just building on performances and getting the minutes on the pitch, which is hard to come by now in the place we’re in, but hopefully I’ve done enough to keep my place in the team.
“That’s the aim, to be on the pitch starting every game and go from there. There’s a lot of games to go and this was a good start. The feeling in the dressing room is amazing. We’d not won in 10 games, so to get that feeling back, we’re going to hold onto that and hopefully get the same thing again on Saturday (at Gillingham).”