The former Glenavon man has been in a rich vein of form recently
Mark Sykes’ Belfast tones contribute to any self-deprecation being delivered with real wit and charm, but when the Bristol City forward declares, “that’s why I’m not a striker”, he’s probably doing himself a bit of a disservice.
At Swansea, feinting to shoot,chopping inside an enthusiastic Nathan Woodlooking to make a last-ditch block, before calmly converting into the corner. And against Plymouth, sprinting onto Jason Knight’s arcing ball over the top before once again finding that lower angle to the right of Argyle goalkeeper Conor Hazard.
“It’s weird, I actually plan it as I’m running towards goal,” Sykes said. “Sometimes when you have too much time, it can go against you but the Swansea one, in the first half, I had kind of a similar situation where I took it early and the defender - the same guy - he blocked it out. His goal against Plymouth also bore striker-ish tendencies given the tunnel vision Sykes experienced as he brought Knight’s pass under control with clear grass ahead of him. In the moment, he was never considering anything beyond going for goal, reports Bristol Live.
“It’s about getting your head clear before you’re striking and picking the corners and I have been so far. Last year, I don’t feel like I got that many chances at the start of the season because I was playing wing-back and that was just how the team was set up at the time but I know, in this team, as a forward player, we’re going to get chances.”
“In training, I don’t fully practise anything on the other side because in a game I don’t find myself in that situation, you may as well practise what you are going to face on a matchday. I know it’s a tough angle but it’s about finding the corners and those little inches; small margins, just like the West Brom one. If it had rolled just a few centimetres inside the post, it would have been nicer.
With both men very much now Robins, and key members of Pearson’s side, he’s still waiting on his bonus from the recruitment team. City have three more games to squeeze in before the next international break - Stoke City at home on Saturday, followed by trips to Rotherham United and Leeds United - a clutch of fixtures Sykes hopes will be enough to help him win back his place in the Republic of Ireland squad.
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