Coach Andy Garner delighted as Jordan Bowery finally opens his Mansfield Town goal account for the season

As a former striker, Garner said he works hard to get Bowery firing and hopes he can now go on a scoring run.

“It was about time he scored and I am delighted for him,” said Garner.

“It is important to get your first goal and now he has hopefully he can take it on and get a few more for us.

“I have a lot of time for Jordan – as I do all the strikers, having been one myself.

“Jordan is a frustrating one – and I tell him that. There is no hiding behind it. I want him to score more goals. But I am always the first to put an arm round him when he does score.

“I tell him before the game to get in the box and get efforts off and sometimes he doesn't. There is a lot of banter before a game, trying to wind him up.”Garner said there was a strong focus on finishing in training.

“We try to put on as much finishing as we possibly can in training. Even then we tell them to concentrate on your finish, especially when we do a bit of shooting on a Friday,” he said.

“I can't stand it when they're blazing them over the bar. It's a matter of concentrating. Sometimes they don't hit them particularly brilliantly, but they concentrate on the ball and it trickles into the corner. That's all it takes sometimes.

“You have to keep encouraging them, especially when you have no goals like Jordan.

“That first goal is a huge weight off his shoulders.

“Sometimes if you are getting in there and missing chances it's not as bad as not getting in there.

“I used to hate coming off the pitch without a shot on target.

“I don't mind if you get in those positions and miss three or four – a bit like Rhys Oates at Leyton Orient. I think he had three one on ones. He hasn't put them in but at least he's created those chances.”