Striker Macauley Bonne says he’s starving for more goals having netted 11 already this season but having gone three matches without scoring - two in the league - including Saturday’s frustrating 2-0 loss at Sunderland.
Bonne has had a brilliant time of it since joining his boyhood club on loan from QPR in the summer and is the division’s third top scorer.
Reflecting on the loss at Sunderland, the 26-year-old, who have been replaced a few minutes beforehand, said: "I think I jinxed it because when I came off I said ‘Just don’t concede from this corner’ to Cameron Burgess, and seeing it go back post and especially him [Luke O’Nien] scoring, he’s a busy little one, isn’t he? But it was horrible to watch that, to see the ball go in.
"To come all this way and play that well. We just [have to not] concede and [we] don’t lose the game but it seems to have gone the opposite way for us in the last 10. We’ve got to move on, haven’t we?”
He says the game is one Town can learn from: "Massively. We’ve got Rotherham on Tuesday, it’s going to be that probably for more than half the game, balls coming in the box, set pieces.
"So I think now we’ve got two days to prepare and iron that out because it’s going to be 10 times worse on Tuesday night.”
Town had more than enough opportunities to make their superiority tell: "Yes, there were chances in the first half, [Bersant] Celina had two, I had a half-chance.
"If you don’t get many in the game, you’ve got to take them and today we didn’t take them. But that’s life, isn’t it? We can’t score and win all the games, we’ve just got to learn from them.”
But he says despite the result positives can be taken from the match: "I think we played really well today in large parts of the game, it’s those little details we’ve got to iron out, the final ball, the decision-making at the end. If they’re all right, then we’re going to on a large run where we’ll win games.”
Bonne himself didn’t have too many chances aside from an early shot turned against a defender.
"No, there weren’t,” he reflected. "Different game for me. If I’m not getting chances, I’ve got to work hard for the team, try my flick-ons, have a battle and have a tear-up, and that’s what I like doing! I like it, I like having a fight.
"Half the game me and Bailey Wright and Luke O’Nien, you probably saw us loads of times tonight when we were rolling on the deck. After the game you stand there and shake each other’s hands and move on. It’s one of those ones, it’s what football’s about.
"There was no chance for me today, so I’ve got to make sure they’re not getting clear headers. Making sure they’re in for a game.
"There were times there where I was rolling on the pitch with a few of them. I love it. The thing is it looks like we’re all angry, but when you walk or run away and you hear a ‘Love it, lad’ from behind you, it’s a football pitch.
"I played non-league football, I’ve been hit around by big pub players, don’t worry, so I’m used to it!”
Rotherham promises to be another tough, physical battle on Tuesday but the Chantry-raised striker has no problem with that.
"I don’t care, I love fighting!” he laughed. "Give me big and ugly, I’ve had it. In this league here, in the Championship, in non-league. I think non-league was the hardest place I’ve been for a fight because half of them can’t run, they just want to fight you.
"You try and run at them and they punch you! That’s what I’m used to. I’m game, that’s something I’ve had to add to my game over the last few seasons, just being up for a fight, and that’s where I am.”
Regarding the lone striker’s role he is operating in with the Blues, he added: "I enjoy it, I just know that I’m there to win my battle. Let’s have a tear-up if it’s like today where there are two or three on me most times. If I’m not winning the ball, he’s not having a clear header or I’m being a bit nasty.
"I think that’s what I’ve tried to bring into my games in the last few seasons, just being a bit nastier. I’m quite a big guy and I’m enjoying playing that role on the last defender’s shoulder or when balls come in the air. Just have a tear-up and I enjoy it.”
He says he’s happy with his total of goals this season, even if he admits he might have had even more.
"I’m hungry, I’m starving for more goals,” he said. "I could have had more. That’s where I’m critical of myself, I could have had so many more but at this stage of the season, I’ll definitely take 11. I think a lot of players in this league would take 11 goals.
"And now with games coming thick and fast I may be able to add to my tally. I think it’s just I understand the final pass, the final cross now which I missed at the start of the season, the likes of Wes Burns where he’s just getting through them and crossing, Scotty Fraser, those players are now starting to come back.
"Scotty Fraser was back today, the first thing I thought was straight away, ‘He’s going to put a cross in’. He did it, I didn’t get on the end of it but I know what’s coming from him.
"We’ve got Sone Aluko, Kyle Edwards, Conor Chaplin, all those players there who have so much talent and I’m just waiting to feed off them and I think as the weeks go by it’s going to click in.”
Asked about his current ‘goal drought’ of three matches without a goal, he responded: "Two in the league! That’s my most, the next game I’m scoring.”
Having got off to such a good start, Bonne says he’ll be disappointed not to hit 20 and then even more, but says the main thing is winning promotion.
"I’d kick myself in the teeth, but I’m getting over 20,” he said. "I’m that confident this season, I’m happy playing football again here.
"I’m going to get 20, that’s my mindset, it’s a target to hit but also I want to get promoted. If I get 19 and we get promoted, I’ll be happy, so that’s fine.”