Top scorer Dapo Afolayan is aiming to go out with a bang as he looks to stay among the goal in the final few days of the season.
Afolayan took his tally for 2021/22 to 14 with his 12th league goal of the campaign in Wanderers’ win over Accrington Stanley on Monday.
That ended a 10-game wait to hit the target again for the livewire frontman who currently heads the Whites’ scoring charts by two from Amadou Bakayoko going into Saturday’s penultimate game of the season at Cheltenham Town on Saturday.
“It’s always good to score to help the team out and add another one to the tally,” said Afolayan, who was back on starting duty for the first time in three games against Stanley after recovering from a tight hamstring.
“Fourteen is good. Thirteen was a bit unlucky to I’m glad to be on 14!
“I’m looking forwards to what’s next. Two more games and hopefully I can get a few more.
“We’re not really competing (to be top scorer). It’s for the team. We’re trying to score as many goals as possible.
“Baka mentioned it to me but I told him the two he scored against Liverpool’s U23s don’t count!
“It’s all light-hearted. If he goes and scores a hat-trick I’ll be buzzing for him. That’s just how it is as a team and we’re good mates as well.
“I think there was a spell where as a team we weren’t scoring enough goals but we can see since January the goals have been really shared out a lot more.
“I think Jon and Dion are on six each. Baka will be up there since January, I think I’ve got four or five since January and even MJ’s popping up with goals so we’re sharing out them out more which is always good and it’s a positive sign for a team.
“That’s what we needed with all these options and looking forward to next season we’ll have even more.
“We’ll have Issy returning, Josh is good at set-pieces so it’s something to look forward to and there’s lots to be positive about next year, especially.”
Ian Evatt’s squad certainly boasts some enviable goal power – boosted by the arrival of New Year signings Dion Charles and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.
Just three defeats since mid-January ranks Wanderers as one of the form sides of League One.
That run hasn’t quite been enough to secure a play-off place, but Evatt’s men head to Cheltenham on the back of a six-match unbeaten record – including draws against promotion-hunting Wigan, Portsmouth and Sheffield Wednesday – and back-to-back wins over the Easter weekend.
“I think for us as a squad there is always that disappointment (of not making the top six),” added Afolayan.
“We knew what our target was this season and whenever you don’t achieve your targets you are disappointed.
“But it also gives us an opportunity to learn from this season and take that forward into next year to improve on that and improve our league position.
“I think we’ve targeted, especially the last four, to win them and again finish the season with as many points as possible.
“We always knew we had those three tough fixtures in a week and we wanted to come out of all those unbeaten.
“We did that and against some top sides as well, with things not going our way, especially the Portsmouth game with the three of us coming off injured and being missing for the Sheffield Wednesday game.
“We see what they’re doing and they’re flying at the minute. They couldn’t beat us here so I think that is the positives from it.
“I’m looking forward to the next two games. We’re just going to keep going and keep building on a platform for next year.”