Western Morning News (Saturday)
Hardie targeting 20 goals for the season
AFTER falling just one short of his 20goal target for last season, Plymouth Argyle striker Ryan Hardie is doubly determined to reach that total this term.
Hardie has made a good start in his pursuit of achieving that with nine goals already, including seven in League One and other two in the Papa Johns Trophy.
The 25-year-old was on 19 goals in all competitions last season when he picked up a thigh injury in late March, and when he returned to the team for the run-in he was some way short of full fitness.
Hardie said: “My personal target is always to beat last season’s total, and after 19 the obvious target is 20 this year! I think I have started pretty well, I’m on nine using the cup goals as well – they all count.
“Definitely, the target is to get 20 this year but once I get there I will set a new target. It will probably be 25 and just keep going. We are on the way there now.
He added: “I would rather play every single cup game and get a goal or two. It all goes on the record. I really enjoy cup games as well.”
When all goals are counted, Hardie leads the scoring chart for Argyle on his own, but including those only from league games he is level on seven with Morgan Whittaker while Niall Ennis and the now injured Finn Azaz are on six and Sam Cosgrove has five.
It is shaping up to be quite a battle to finish as the Pilgrims’ leading marksman this term, and one which Hardie is relishing.
He said: “The more goals coming from elsewhere the better the team will be doing. Last year I got top scorer by a few goals, this year I will hopefully do the same.
“I’m in front in terms of using the cup goals but there is a tie in the league. It’s good, it’s definitely better when more people chip in because the team obviously benefit more from it as well.
“As a striker, the thing that you want to do every season is score goals. If you are top of the goalscorer charts then it means you are doing your job well.”
Argyle manager Steven Schumacher has rotated his strikers this season, depending on the tactics and the opposition for each match.
So even though Hardie has been in good goalscoring form he has not been guaranteed a place in the starting line-up. His nine goals have come from a total of 12 starts and nine substitute appearances.
He said: “The team is doing well from it. Obviously you want to play every game and you are disappointed when you don’t start.
“I think we have got a good understanding that we will get time on the pitch. As a sub you are ready to impact the game in the second half.
“It doesn’t mean you played poorly the game before if you start on the bench the next one because the Gaffer has a plan for every single game.”
Hardie continued: “The Gaffer usually does shape on a Thursday or a Friday. It’s not nailed on that’s what the team is but you get an inkling.
“Sometimes he does name the team outright, but you usually get the feeling Thursday or Friday, which makes the disappointment easier to get over by the weekend and you are ready to go.
“If you find out 90 minutes prior to kickoff it’s harder. It’s good with finding out the day before and then it gives you time to not only get over the disappointment but be ready to come on and impact it, and know what your role is going to be.”
The next test for Hardie and his Argyle team-mates will be provided by Burton Albion at the Pirelli Stadium this afternoon.
It is the Pilgrims’ third successive Saturday away game, following the shock 5-1 FA Cup first round defeat away to Grimsby Town and the 1-1 draw with Lincoln City.
Hardie said: “I think the trips have been not bad because we are kind of used to it, and we have had a week in between each game to recover so it has not been SaturdayTuesday which would have made it a lot more difficult.”
Argyle have not won in their seven previous visits to the Pirelli Stadium, drawing the last four after losing the first three.
Hardie said: “That’s a stat we want to put right. It’s an opportunity for us to go and show what we can do and ultimately we want to get back on track with a win.
“If you said that we could go to Lincoln and Burton and pick up four points we would be happy. I think the draw at Lincoln is only made a good draw if we win on Saturday.”