Josh Gordon: My Walsall prayers have been answered

The striker scored for the first time in 20 games on Saturday as the Saddlers comfortably beat Scunthorpe 2-0.

Following his medial knee injury that kept him sidelined for eight weeks, Gordon came back and swiftly scored twice but was thrown into the starting XI soon after his return.

His last Saddlers goal, however, came on January 19 before his strike at the weekend.

“It was a massive relief, I was shouting ‘yes, yes yes’,” Gordon said.

“Everyone knows I want to be scoring goals and it’s frustrating when you aren’t scoring goals.

“I’ve been here three seasons now and everyone knows I can score. Strikers have their droughts so when I did score it was a massive relief.

“It’s been a while and as a striker you want to be scoring goals.

“It’s not been the same season I’d like to have. From the goals I scored last season to coming back and starting well and then getting my injury.

“I came back from the injury and got a few goals and then it plateaued.

“There’s a few factors as to why but we’ve also not been a free-flowing team getting a lot of chances.

“I’ve had a few chances where ‘keepers have done well and all I can do is the bare minimum, working hard which I’ve always done.

“I got my reward and got my goal.”

In his frantic and relieved celebration, Gordon pointed to the sky as his team-mates mobbed him.

When asked why he celebrated the way he did, Gordon added: “I’m a big believer in the man upstairs.

“When you go through the tough times it does affect you. I love scoring goals and know I can score them so when I’m not and people question what you do, it sometimes gets to you.

“He answered my prayers. I worked well and finally got my goal and now will hopefully have a good end to the season.”

Saturday’s goal was Gordon’s sixth of the season from 36 appearances in all competitions.

Head coach Brian Dutton insists that strike should ease the burden on the 26-year-old, who has cut a frustrated figure in recent weeks when he has not had the rub of the green in front of goal.

Dutton said: “It should be a massive weight off his shoulders.

“Josh is a very conscientious person, he feels it. It hurts him. It weighs heavy on him.

“Josh is a really good footballer at the level and unfortunately he’s been hampered by poor confidence at times and over-thinking things.

“He got his goal and he was a breathe of fresh air out there.

“I couldn’t be more delighted for him because he has the heart of a lion.

“He wants it more than anybody. He wants it too much at times.”