Dion Charles hopes his hat-trick and Wanderers’ goal rush against Reading will light the blue touch paper for the Whites’ campaign, writes Pete Oliver.
Charles bagged a first-half hat-trick – including two coolly-taken penalties – as Ian Evatt’s men beat the Royals 5-2 to record a first League One victory since the opening day of the season.
The rampant Whites also bagged their first league goal since that win at Orient as Charles claimed his first treble at the Toughsheet Community Stadium in a Wanderers’ shirt.
“It meant a lot,” said the striker who last season became the first Wanderers’ player to produce back-to-back 20-goal seasons since John McGinlay almost three decades ago.
“It's not been the best of starts but that's my fifth of the season now, four in the league, and hopefully that kick starts everyone's season.
“We had a good sit down at the start of the week and said a few home truths and we went out there and played with a lot more freedom and it was a brilliant result for us.
“It felt more like us, the performance today. Everyone was at it and it was a brilliant result it was great for the fans as well. The ones who were here today stuck by us and it felt at the end when we're all going over and clapping to them we were all together again.
“That's a performance we've been looking for all season. We know ourselves we've been under par but hopefully that kick-starts our season now.”
Wanderers bounced back brilliant from their 4-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town a week previously as they came through a major test of character with flying colours.
Evatt went back to a tried-and-tested formula which took the Whites to third place in the division last season.
And his side now gets the chance to test themselves at Arsenal in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night ahead of back-to-back away games at Crawley and Northampton.
“That's a reward for all the efforts we've put in, going to play a world-class team like Arsenal,” added Charles. “It's going to be a good day out for everyone, for us players and for the fans as well.
“We can't get too ahead of ourselves. It's one game where we've performed well. Our heads will be focused on Arsenal now - which seems funny saying that - but that's sort of a free hit and our main aim is to put in more performances like we did today.”