JOR SIMPLY THE BEST!
Amadou BAKS brilliant finish by fellow Sky Blues striker for Goal of the Season award
AMADOU Bakayoko is backing one of his striking rivals to scoop this season’s Goal of the Season award for Coventry City.
The Sky Blues striker is in decent form himself at the minute, scoring two in his last two to take his season’s tally to six so far this term from just ten League One starts and 13 substitute appearances.
He’s scored a clear contender for the annual presentation shortlist – his diving header at Charlton back in October – and one of the strangest goals City fans are likely to witness this season against Fleetwood Town last week when he chased down the keeper and saw the ball spin off at an angle and over the line.
Conor Chaplin’s stunning free-kick at Plymouth will almost certainly also be in contention for the gong but the 23-year-old believes Jordy Hiwula’s sensational solo run and outstanding finish against Fleetwood is the standout winner with eight games to go.
Asked what’s his own favourite goal, Bakayoko said: “I’d say the one at Charlton but I think Jordy’s will win goal of the season.
“I hope mine is up there though.
“Conor scored a great free-kick as well but I think Jordy has got a great chance of winning it.”
He added: “He’s still talking about it now! He’s been watching the re-runs of it and hopefully he does it again on Saturday.
“He’s got great ability and Luke (Thomas) can definitely pull off goals like that as well. As for his take on his freak finish against Fleetwood, he said: “It’s definitely the strangest goal I have ever scored – I’ve certainly never scored one like it. “We have just been told to press high and I made sure that I did put the keeper under pressure and it luckily went in.
“As soon as I looked back it was spinning in. I thought it was going to hit the post and I would get a rebound but I’m glad it just went straight in.”
He added: “I have seen it happen a couple of times for other teams when the striker has just been pressing the goalkeeper and it has come off their backside or whatever.
Amadou Bakayoko
He’s been watching the re-runs of it and hopefully he does it again on Saturday. He’s got great ability.
“Sometimes even when the keeper has the ball in their hands you can jump and the ball will go in.
“I just went for it, full force and didn’t hold back, and thankfully it went in.”
Now up to six with eight games to go, it looks a tall order for Bakayoko to live up to his ‘20 goal’ song this season.
“I haven’t set a target at the moment,” he said.
“The first six months were a bit tough but now I just want to win games and work hard for the team.
“If the goals come then great, but hopefully I can talk about having a target next season.”
Still, double figures is not beyond the realms of possibility before the season’s out surely?
“You never know,” said the summer signing from Walsall.
“I’m enjoying my football at the moment. “I think I have got four or five assists which I’m pleased about because I don’t normally get them.
“We’re winning games and doing well on the training pitch, and we’re organised as a team, and it has been good being involved,” he added.
“Things are definitely improving up front. “We work on it and we have always created chances.
“Last season there was Marc McNulty scoring the goals but it’s a bit different this year because we have got three or four bodies that can do the job and it’s a great thing to be honest.
“We do it in training and hopefully we can get more goals in the games.”
Hiwula is top scorer with nine, just ahead of Chaplin (7), Bakayoko (6), Luke Thomas (4) and Bright Enobakhare (4) in the current scoring charts. So is there a competition for the golden boot?
“I wouldn’t say there’s a competition,” he said.
“We always talk about it but Jordy’s played a lot more games so it’s not too fair at the moment.
“But it’s still up for grabs so you never know.” Asked about the prospect of making the play-offs, the affable centre-froward said: “It’s in our hands.
“We have been enjoying our football and winning games and it’s time to enjoy it and show no fear at all.
“We just want to grab the wins and you never know what’s possible. We believe in ourselves and hopefully we can carry it into the games. We feel we are capable of it and just have to go out and do our best.
“That’s the confidence we have which we have shown at the training ground really, with the gaffer telling us to go and express ourselves and having the confidence to do it.”