Fleetwood's Hiwula hopes floodgates open

Hiwula netted his first goal for Town in last month’s League Cup exit to Carlisle and finally grabbed his first league goals in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Bury.

It could have been a first-half hat-trick had he not skied an early spot-kick.

The 22-year-old has started all six League One games so far and believes he has shown the Cod Army what he is made of.

The loan forward from Huddersfield hopes to kick-on at Portsmouth tomorrow and said: “For me it was just about getting off the mark in the league as quickly as possible. Hopefully I can get more now and see where it takes me.

“I feel I have played well. And although I hadn’t scored before Tuesday, I felt I contributed to the team. I just need to keep working hard and the goals will come.”

With Conor McAleny (ankle) back in training, there is healthy competition for places in the forward line.

Bobby Grant was left out of Tuesday’s squad, but it is anticipated he will return to the fold tomorrow after being given a ‘special programme’ to help him re-discover his form, while Hiwula, Devante Cole and Wes Burns are vying for starting spots with Ash Hunter, a scorer in the last two games.

Hiwula and fellow Manchester City youth alumnus Cole, Town’s four-goal top scorer, got the nod on Tuesday.

Hiwula says competition for places can only be good for the team. “Me and Devante have a good understanding, though I think all of the strikers have,” he said.

“They are all working hard and scoring, so we have good competition and I feel whoever plays will give 100 per cent and do well.

“We have two good full-backs (Amari’i Bell and Lewie Coyle) who can deliver balls in, so the strikers just need to get in the right areas to get on the end of the balls.”

Hunter secured a 2-2 draw against Oldham last weekend with a last-gasp penalty and revealed that the club has no official penalty-taker – Hiwula missed at Plymouth on Tuesday.

Hunter said: “The names go up on the board in the dressing room, and if we get a penalty whoever wants to take it takes it.”

The average age of the starting line-up on Tuesday was 22, with Ash Eastham the oldest Town player at26.

Hiwula said: “We have a really young group of lads and we are all good friends as well, which makes it even better. We have a good relationship.”

and we always get on off the training ground.”

And Hiwula says the similar age range is a good thing with the players pals off the pitch too.

Hiwula said: “We have a really young group of lads and we are all good friends as well, which makes it even better.”