It has not been the season that James Hanson had planned for after inking a long-term contract.
Following his impressive debut year in the pro ranks, big things were expected of the big man second time around. So much so that City were keen to tie down his services on an extended deal.
So far, that has not been the case, with hamstring niggles eating into his playing opportunities. The weather hold-ups haven’t helped, either.
Hanson has four goals under his belt but only one of them has come in the league. For someone who went into the campaign aiming to score around 15, it has been a tricky time.
But he was back to his rampaging best in the stunning display at Colchester in the FA Cup last month, netting twice and leading the line magnificently.
Hanson, not to mention Peter Taylor, is desperate to see more of that.
The hectic holiday period offers the perfect chance to show that he is back in business. And Hanson is confident his body can stand up to the challenge of playing four games in nine days.
“I’ve played the whole 90 minutes in the last three games and had no reaction whatsoever,” he said. “I’ve also been able to train every day, so hopefully that’s now the end of it.
“The games coming up are obviously a bigger test, playing back-to-back like that, but I’m sure I will be all right.
“It’s been a frustrating time for me. I thought I did well at Colchester but then it hasn’t quite happened in the home games.
“Maybe that’s partly down to service but it’s one of those things. You’ve got to be confident going into the next match and once you stick one goal away, anything can happen.”
Hanson dismisses any suggestion that he has been “found out” by opposition defenders; the perils of the so-called second-season syndrome.
There are no doubts clouding his mind that he can click again and soon.
He added: “I’ve only got the one league goal and a lot of the lads go on about it. But (David) Syers and I remind them that it’s sometimes better to score against the better teams, which we have done in the cup.
“I’ve still got to aim for double figures in the league. I don’t think I’ve played that many games, maybe just over ten, so if I keep playing regularly then who knows.
“I haven’t had that run of playing five or six on the spin to get match fit. Hopefully that’s the end of the injuries and that will change for me.
“You also need the weather to be right, though. The last thing you need is to miss another week or two.
“Before the Hereford game, we hadn’t played for two weeks, which is similar to being injured. You’re training indoors, which is totally different and it doesn’t help.”
With Hanson still waiting to explode, City’s goal tally remains well below par. With just 17 so far, only Lincoln and Aldershot have scored fewer.
While the defensive record remains the fourth best in the division, it is clear where the team must improve if they are to mount the planned drive for the play-offs.
“We know we haven’t scored a lot and it’s something we’ve been working on in training,” admitted Hanson. “We’ve got the players who can create and score goals. It’s just a matter of putting it all together when it matters.
“When we got the early goal against Hereford, I really expected us to kick on like we did against Oxford. You start playing well and get confident that you will score but that didn’t happen.
“I’m always confident if I get good quality service in the box. I’ve been winning the diagonal (crosses) but not really getting attempts on goal.
“But if the crosses keep coming in then I know I can get the goals. Next week would be a good place to start.
“Chesterfield and Bury are really good home games for us but every one coming up is massive now. It’s just as important we do well at Cheltenham and Lincoln.
“We can’t afford any slip-ups if we want to start pushing up that league. We’ll be looking to get something from every one of them.”
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