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Jordan Graham has made a career out of creating goals for others but the Gillingham forward thinks now is the time to get more for himself.
The 25-year-old hasn’t made a bad start this term, hitting three in the last two games, with a stoppage-time penalty against Coventry City in the League Cup a double against Wigan Athletic in Gills’ 3-2 League 1 win on Saturday.
Graham's only other two Football League goals came in a Championship game for Wolves at Charlton in December 2015 and a winner for Oxford United at Blackpool in February last year while on loan.
Doubling that league goal tally in the space of eight first half minutes for Gillingham at Wigan wasn’t a bad way to show he knows where the net is.
Speaking after the Wigan win, he said: “I want to add goals to my game. I don’t score enough, I know I don’t score enough, so it is something I am really eager to do.
“I am really pleased to have got my first two league goals this season.
“Normally all I care about is assisting and helping the team. This season I have been saying to my family and friends that I need to get goals, I need to be more selfish.
“I am so unselfish normally, I just want to cross, but this season I want to pass, cross and score. I am really pleased. One against Coventry and two on Saturday and it all helps the team towards the end goal.”
His first on Saturday came after listening to a bit of advice from Gillingham assistant boss Paul Raynor.
“Rayns has been on at me to get behind Vadaine (Oliver),” said the forward. “He wins almost everything in the air, so I started to take a gamble. I took a touch just over the defender and I was in two minds, side foot or shoot with my laces, I just gave it what I had, it took a little nick off the defender which took it away from the derender but every goal is a goal.
“The second one is what I am about, getting down the line, chop inside and I hit it so quick I don’t think the keeper had time.”
Trae Coyle hit a third and although Wigan got one back to make it sense at the end, the Gills got the win.
“It was a good team performance,” said the former Wolves man.
“I feel it is the closest we have been to how we were last year, from when I came in January (on loan). There is a real good fighting spirit in there and I felt like we were never going to lose after going 2-1 up. We were quite comfortable.
“They put a bit of pressure on us last 20 but the more we play and train together we are getting that team spirit and we are gelling really well. That was a massive win for us. It was important to get three points to take that into next week’s game against Blackpool.”
Graham might have scored even more on Saturday had he had a bit more luck. The home keeper punched one clear - that manager Steve Evans thought had crossed the line - then hit the post. Both shots came direct from corner kicks.
Those efforts didn’t happen by chance, as he explained.
“I was shooting because he (the Wigan goalkeeper) was really far off his line and I said to the Wigan boys ‘he’s miles off his line’ and I am going to shoot again in the second half.
“(It hit the post). It just needed to be a couple more inches to the right.
“Normally I would put it into the box but I saw him creeping and creeping and I think he was trying to cheat and get as far out of his box as he could to try and collect it but I thought I would just hit one. He seemed to be in the same position second time around and I went for it again.
“I am not sure (if the first one) was over the line but it was a good win anyway, regardless.”
Before Blackpool is a Carabao Cup game against Stoke City on Wednesday night.
“It’s a Championship team we can beat,” he said.
“I want to go again and get to the next round and pull a big team. We are full focussed on that now.”
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