Striker Aaron Drinan was delighted to score his first competitive goal for the Blues in yesterday’s 1-1 draw at Crewe.

Drinan, who the Blues signed from Waterford in his native Ireland in January 2018, broke into the the first team in pre-season and netted twice in the friendly at Colchester.

The Cork-born frontman made his senior Blues debut on the opening day of the season in the Carabao Cup tie against Bristol Rovers but suffered a thigh injury the following week in the first League One game against Wigan which saw him miss the next two months of the season.

He has now made six starts and six sub appearances but until Saturday was still waiting for his first competitive goal, although had found the net during his spells on loan with Sutton United, back at Waterford, Ayr United and at GAIS in Sweden.

“I just kept doing what I was doing and I always knew that the goal would eventually come, always do your own thing and always back yourself and it just came today, so I’m absolutely buzzing,” he said.

“The first one is probably always the hardest, obviously as a striker you’re judged on scoring goals, so it’s something I’m wanting to add to my game a lot more. It’s good to get off the mark.

“As we were 1-0 down and were looking for that goal, it probably makes it that bit more meaningful to score.

“We’re just looking to build on that point now and are aiming to three points next week and go on a run.

“It’s good that the league’s so tight and a couple of wins can take you up the table.”

Drinan has been unlucky not to find the net previously, particularly in the last away trip to Burton when he hit the bar and saw another effort kept out by the home keeper.

“To be fair, I think in the last couple of games I’ve been making an impact and obviously that was the missing piece to the jigsaw,” he reflected.

“Everywhere I’ve been on loan, every part of my game I think has been good and just getting a couple of goals finishes it off nicely. I’m just looking to build on that with a couple more goals and keep helping the team.”

Drinan knows he has a chance to secure a place in the side with Oli Hawkins out having undergone knee surgery and Kayden Jackson suspended for two more matches following his red card on Tuesday.

“If I just keep going, just try hard to help the team, score as many goals as I can and hopefully the rewards will come,” he said.

“Goals win games, obviously we’re all trying to score. We’ll all just keep going and everything will fall for us all eventually.”

Turning to Saturday’s result, the 22-year-old thought the Blues deserved more than the point: “I think we probably should have won that game, to be fair.

“I think we did a lot more on the ball than they did. When going forward we looked a bit more dangerous than they did, so I think we probably should have got the three points.”

He felt Town might well have won the match had they played the final minutes with their full complement rather than having had Teddy Bishop red-carded for a second bookable offence on 82.

“When you’ve scored, momentum is all your way and the sending off doesn’t help,” he said.

“The same against Sunderland, we went down to 10 men and stuck at the game and probably should have got something there. If we had 11 men out there [against Crewe], we definitely would have given in a nice go.”

Rather than celebrating his goal Drinan spent the moments after finding the net tending an injury, however, he says it was nothing serious.

“Just a dead leg," he said. “I got absolutely smashed, but as long as it went in, I don’t mind.”

And, having scored his first goal, he says he’s looking to start when the Blues host Blackpool next Saturday: “Hopefully, every player wants to start games, so we’ll wait and see.”

Photos: Pagepix

istanblue added 19:50 - Jan 31 No offence to Drinan, who obviously gives it his all, but I'd be very surprised if he got even 5 goals for us this season.
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cat added 20:01 - Jan 31 Come on guys this is good news. Looked useful when he came on the other night and now he's off the mark. Hope he can kick on from here as there appears to be issues with Jackson and Norwood, whether that's with the manager, sulking over no moves away, injuries or loss of form a stand in is a must and Freddie ain't the answer.
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Cakeman added 20:25 - Jan 31 I'm extremely hacked off by our current plight with poor management of our club but equally I'm very pleased for Aaron Drinan. It must be a great feeling to score your first senior goal. Very well done and it matters not if it was banged in from two yards or twenty-two. Aaron has been a positive (one of very few) this season. He started well before his unfortunate injury and in my view he deserves his place in the team. Should be a starter. Probably won't be a prolific scorer but he does the tough stuff well and brings others into the game.

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bobble added 20:44 - Jan 31 if i had been playing upfront i would have 6-7 by now
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Buryblue78 added 20:59 - Jan 31 Well said as always Cakeman Aaron Drinan gives his all and you can't say that about all of the players these days It's not easy to come into a struggling team and do well Nothing about our club is going well and hasn't been for a long while I believe we would be stronger if he played with either Norwood or Sears as a 2 up front We've scored 2 goals in the 9 games against sides in the top 8 both in defeat Enough said about Lambert lately Congratulations though to Aaron Drinan and hopefully you'll get something that resembles service with which to build on and score more goals and help feed Norwood who would undoubtably score plenty at this level given a partner to work with and some service

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rexron added 21:04 - Jan 31 Well done Drinan. I believe in you. Can be a very good player in time.
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bluechelmsford9 added 21:53 - Jan 31 Well done, Aaron. Never easy to score goals when the manager insists on playing one up top. Something to be celebrated but I think you'd be scoring more if you had some support and service up there.
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coolhand added 21:57 - Jan 31 Keep the moment Aaron, but I have watched you at Ayr and you are a lay off/take the hit in the back player. Never the jack in the box footballer that gets 10 ish goals a season. You will be used and used by lower league football clubs and make a living for a few years and then they will drop you like a brick. Use the time to make friends and gather as much knowledge as you can for your future. I say this with experience.

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dirtydingusmagee added 22:02 - Jan 31 steady as you go Aaronyou will be getting a run of games , trouble is with Lambert as manager you may be in goal .
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BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 22:10 - Jan 31 Well done on getting your first competitive goal. Can't believe some of the comments above.
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KiwiBlue2 added 03:54 - Feb 1 The line up I want to see on Saturday is: Holy Chambers (only as no other option) McGuinness Woolfie Kenlock Thomas Downes Dozell Edwards Drinan Norwood I think that they could manage at least 2 goals which should be enough. While supporting 4-3-3 early on we simply have not been able to make it work to produce goals. The change to 4-4-2 should have been made some time ago. Harrop becoming available soon should add a bit of punch alongside Downes. Dozzel's passing ability should become more effective in this line-up as he has two strikers to aim at. Fingers crossed for Saturday....coyb

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therein61 added 07:25 - Feb 1 Pleased for him his hard work deserved it, when selected he puts in an honest shift and doesn't hide like some who just go through the motions, now that we've a goal can we teach Mr Chambers to mark his man as he has been at fault for several goals of late(none of which are ever his fault!!) when he goes awol.
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Razor added 10:31 - Feb 1 He was unlucky at Burton with a smart header and although it was a scruffy goal he was there and the sad thing is it probably saved numb nuts job. He will get more goals if he gets more support up front ie. 2 strikers playing together but that is obvious you would think anybody would be able to see it.
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chepstowblue added 14:54 - Feb 1 It was a beautiful finish.
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