Mansfield Town striker Danny Johnson hoping hat-trick against Newcastle United U21s can finally kick-start his season

Mansfield Town striker Danny Johnson is hoping his Papa John's Trophy hat-trick last night will open the floodgates for him to get on the goals trail.
Danny Johnson  scores from the penalty spot during the Papa John's Trophy match against Newcastle U21s at the One Call Stadium last mnight. Photo by Chris HOLLOWAY/The Bigger Picture.mediaDanny Johnson  scores from the penalty spot during the Papa John's Trophy match against Newcastle U21s at the One Call Stadium last mnight. Photo by Chris HOLLOWAY/The Bigger Picture.media
Danny Johnson scores from the penalty spot during the Papa John's Trophy match against Newcastle U21s at the One Call Stadium last mnight. Photo by Chris HOLLOWAY/The Bigger Picture.media

And he underlined how important a month November will be for the Stags' season.

Johnson netted three times in last night's entertaining 6-3 home win over Newcastle United U21s and is now hoping for a start at Stevenage in League Two action on Saturday.

“When you go out on the pitch you want to prove a point and stake a claim to be starting so I hope that will be on Saturday,” he said.

“If I start I will give my all, and if I come on I will give my all.

“We were delighted to get a win. I know tonight there wasn't really anything on it, but every time you go out there you play to get into the team and I was delighted to get my goals.”

Johnson, top scorer at Leyton Orient last season, has been desperate to get his season going following his summer move.

“I said I was going to come here and score goals, so I have been a bit disappointed with the start of my season,” he said.

“For whatever reason it hasn't quite clicked. There have been a few times that I have thought my season is going to kick-start, but it hasn't, so hopefully tonight was the start of my season.

“Sometimes these things happen in football and I have been very disappointed with my goals return up to now. I put pressure on myself to get those goals and, after tonight, hopefully I can look back and kick on.

“I feel as though I should score every shot to be honest. That's the type of person I am. When I go home and I haven't scored I kick myself. So I am delighted with tonight.”

He added: “It's all about confidence. When I am confident I am scoring goals.

“Last season when I was scoring week in week out I knew I was going to turn up and score goals.

“This year I still have that belief but it's been a bit harder to keep going.

“But the last few games I've started I have scored in, so I hope now I can keep that going.

“I have been scoring in training so it was only a matter of time

“I knew I had to keep patient and the goals would come. I now want to go into the next game and score and the next one and the next one.”The win was Mansfield's third in a row after the miserable run of 14 games without a win, and he said: “You look at the fixtures this month and I think we've got four teams in and around us.

“So if we want to do anything with our season we really need to get results over the next few weeks. We don't want to be down there come Christmas.

“We need to stick together, get a few results and dig in.

“But it's been tough trying to get a squad together. You might get one back but then lose another one.

“But we're starting to get players back and we have a good nucleus of the squad to kick on now.”

Johnson was impressed with both Stags' youngsters, who played alongside him, and those of the visiting Newcastle team last night.

He said: “This is what the competition is for, for those young lads to come up against professionals. And I thought they did well. They got three goals – some good ones as well - and it was a good contest.

“We had to match them. Young lads are going to come, run round and put up a fight.

“But we have good young lads here too.

“Obviously they've not had the game time at the start of the season as we've not done well.

“But you saw tonight and against Sheffield Wednesday they have held their own and proved a point.”