Jones’ plea to Northern Ireland boss

BRENTFORD V WALSALL 8 EB 21 Walsall winger Steve Jones has urged Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington to end his international exile after more goalscoring heroics at club level.

The flying wide man has hit six goals in his last eight games after a second-half equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Brentford on Saturday and is now the Saddlers’ seven-goal top scorer.

Jones, who has not played for his country since 2007, is keen on a return to the international scene and has targeted a New Year comeback.

He said: “It’s my next aim. It’s disappointing people from the Irish leagues and lower leagues in Scotland are getting selected in front of me, but I can’t do more than I’m doing now.

“Hopefully they will take note and I will be there for the next international. All I can do is keep scoring and get Walsall higher up the table. I’m consistent, scoring goals and it’s all you can do.

“It’s nice to score goals. If I’d been playing as a striker I’d be proud of those stats but as a winger it’s even better. I feel confident with every game I play.”

Manager Chris Hutchings admits he is pleased with the 33-year-old’s form.

He said: “He’s very ambitions and rightly so, he’s enjoy his football and scoring goals. It’s up to the powers that be who pick the national side to take a chance and see whether they feel he’s good enough.

“Steve is doing well and we hope that continues.”

But Jones knows the Saddlers got out of jail at Griffin Park after a sluggish first half where they fell behind to Ben Strevens’ 11th- minute header.

He said: “We looked like a bunch of strangers in the first half. They played the best they could play and we played the worst we could in the first half. In the second half we did better and got in their faces.

“Credit to the lads in the second half, I thought we dominated it.”

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