by Ben Baker
WILL Grigg might have had to wait for one hat-trick to be confirmed, but the Wigan striker is convinced he is on course for a much more important treble come the end of the season.
This week saw the Football League‘s dubious goals panel officially award Grigg with the first goal in the 3-0 drubbing of Port Vale on January 30.
The strike had originally gone down as a Richard Duffy own goal but that decision has been reversed, earning Grigg a first Wigan hat-trick after he got the other two at the DW Stadium that day.
It means that heading into this weekend’s clash with Peterborough, Grigg had bagged eight goals in ten games in 2016 and was just four goals shy of chairman David Sharpe’s boast that he had signed a 20-goal striker in the summer.
Grigg’s goals have coincided with a run of form that has installed Gary Caldwell’s side among the promotion front-runners.
Grigg knows all about that, having been promoted from League One in the last two seasons with Brentford and then MK Dons while on loan, and the 24-year-old believes he is on course to pop the champagne once again in May.
“I can’t really put mine or the team’s form down to anything in particular, I just think it took longer than we expected or hoped for everything to come together,” said the former Walsall front man.
“There were a lot of new faces in the summer and we had to gel. Unfortunately, that took a while, but I think everyone can see that it is coming together now.
“For me personally, I don’t think I had got myself fully fit and I had a few niggling injuries but now I am feeling good and getting goals.
“I am going into every game thinking I am going to score and that is not myself running through a team and banging it in the top corner but because of the guys and team behind me.
“The gaffer wants us to get the ball down and play good, passing football, while he gives the front four or five a lot of freedom, which has helped me massively.
“The chairman set me a target of 20 goals this season and I am well on course to get the final four, but I am not stopping there. If I get 25, then we will probably be promoted.
“It is not personal targets that drive me – it is winning things – and I want to score as many as possible and win this league.
“I am two from two when it comes to promotions so I know what it takes and it would be pretty special to make it three out of three.”
Grigg’s hat-trick against Port Vale could hardly have come at a better time, with Northern Ireland head coach Michael O’Neill watching from the stands.
The striker has seven international caps to his name and, with Euro 2016 this summer, a timely recall would be just the ticket.
“I tend to think that if you concentrate on club football then the international stuff will take care of itself,” he added.
“There is a massive opportunity in the summer with Euro 2016 so I will be doing everything possible to get Wigan promoted, then I will have two weeks off and then I would love to be out there with Northern Ireland.
“I speak to the boys in the squad every now and again but I haven’t really spoken to any of the staff.
“The manager was at the Port Vale game, though, so hopefully that helps, but it’s all about Wigan now and getting back to the Championship.”
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