LEE NOVAK has been set the challenge of adding a goals bonus to his Town repertoire.
The 21-year-old has received the all-clear for tonight’s FA Cup first round tie against Dagenham & Redbridge after undergoing a scan on his bruised right shoulder.
Manager Lee Clark has been delighted by the way his Geordie counterpart has stepped up from the non-league ranks at Gateshead, but he’s keen to see Novak add to his two goals so far (against Brighton and Exeter).
“Lee has done fantastically and to have played as many games as he has at this stage of the season, we are delighted with his contribution,” explained Clark.
“His work ethic is second to none, but he has to now start putting the ball in the net on a more regular basis.
“As I’ve said to all the strikers, when the career stats are produced they never say how many kilometres they’ve run or how many challenges they’ve made, it’s all about how many goals they’ve scored.
“Lee is doing absolutely brilliantly, his attitude is spot on, and now he just needs to get up alongside Theo Robinson and Jordan Rhodes in the goalscoring charts.”
Clark added: “I don’t see my strikers as people who run around for 90 minutes but don’t have any attempts on goal – that is no good to me.
“I want to see strikers scoring goals on a regular basis and Lee has to bring with him what he showed at Gateshead last season – the ability to put the ball in the net plenty of times.
“He needs to show the same belief in himself that we have in him, because he’s got the ability to do it.”
Sports editor Mel Booth talks about the latest Town news and looks forward to tonight's clash as well as potential transfer window moves in the latest edition of Town Talk below.
