Desperate For Goals!

By: Richard Lord
Date: 13/09/2002

GRIMSBY'S Darren Barnard, scorer of the Mariners' only goal this season, believes the forward players need to start finding the net in order to take the pressure off the defence. The Welshman will play at left back tomorrow in the absence of Tony Gallimore.

In an interview with the Evening Telegraph, Barnard said: "It's something that's playing on our minds and something we're talking about because we can only hold out at the back for so long.

"The game is about scoring goals and if we're going to win games then we must start scoring soon. It's obvious that we can't win unless we do. It puts pressure on the back lads and they're thinking that they have to keep a clean sheet or they won't get anything.

"It's happened before at clubs I've been at and all sides go through lean patches. It's just that ours is at the beginning of the season. We've all had a chat about it and we've just got to dig deep and our rewards will come - even if it's off somebody's knee or something like that.

"A couple of people have mentioned to me that I'm the only one to have scored and it would be nice to finish top scorer this season - I just hope it's with more than one! I'm hoping to get close to double figures this season. I've got quite a good scoring record. I average eight or nine a season and hopefully I can get that here."

Meanwhile the manager believes it's only a matter of time before the goals start to flow. Groves said: "The players at the club are happier playing a 4-4-2. But we do need to be able to adapt.

"We've got to keep believing and against Chesterfield we created about six or eight half-chances and hit the bar. We need to be more ruthless. It's only a matter of time before we score and some of our play has definitely warranted it this season."

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