Lady luck shines on Collins (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

SWINDON TOWN: Lady luck shines on Collins

6:00am Monday 8th October 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead

JAMES Collins admitted Lady Luck played a massive role in helping him score his first league goal for Swindon Town on Saturday, and the striker hopes it is the perfect catalyst to a free-scoring campaign.

Collins hadn’t found the net in 10 League One appearances for the Robins since making the summer switch from Shrewsbury prior to the trip to Bury, but his over-hit cross drifted beyond Shakers keeper Trevor Carson in the 25th second to scrap that stat and leave the 21-year-old ecstatic.

Now the striker is targeting plenty more goals as he and his Swindon teammates aim for promotion to the Championship.

“It was surprising to myself and the team that it came so early,” said Collins.

“But my intention was just to get a good ball in the box and luckily enough for me it went in so I’m delighted.

“I just looked to put it in a good area and I got maybe a bit too much on it and luckily enough it went in, but it was that luck I needed to get me off the mark and hopefully I can kick on now and get plenty more.

“I’ve had to be patient, it hasn’t gone for me in the past few games but I stuck in there and managed to get my first goal which I’m happy with and I’m glad the boys could get a win.

“I was always confident in my ability.

“It wasn’t falling for me but it didn’t matter because we were winning the games. Andy Williams was scoring the goals, we were getting goals from wide areas, but from now I hope to score many more.”

Collins admitted Saturday’s game lacked the aesthetic quality of many of Town’s performances this term, but he reinforced the principle that Swindon will have to win ugly at times if they are to realise their lofty ambitions in 2012/13.

He said: “We didn’t play our best today but going away to any side in League One is a tough place to go and we managed to get the three points which I’m delighted with.

“It wasn’t the prettiest of games, I though chances-wise we still edged it – they had a few good set pieces and maybe we should have scored that second – but 1-0 away, with another clean sheet is another great win.

“They’ve got a new manager in and we knew that might give them a lift and, coming to their ground when they’ve got the crowd behind them, to stay in the top six you need to get points on the board – whether it be a draw or a win.

“The gaffer said to us before the game, if we can’t win the game we draw it and luckily enough we stuck in there and got the win.”