Appéré admits he needs to score more goals after dry run

Striker Louis Appéré admits he needs to add more goals to his game after going nine matches without finding the back of the net.

The 23-year-old Scot has four goals in all competitions this season, and took his assist tally to the same number with some excellent work to set up top scorer Sam Hoskins against Grimsby on Saturday, but he knows it’s goals that he will be judged by.

Appéré was back in the starting XI for that game after being dropped to the bench against Wimbledon.

He said: "As a player, you want to play every minute but sometimes it is good to just sit out for a bit and freshen up and then come on as a sub and build momentum.

"Maybe, in hindsight, it was a good thing for me but I feel I’m doing OK.

"I’m always working hard every day to get better. I contributed with an assist at the weekend and I was happy to get that but I’m a striker and I want to score more goals to help the team.”

Appéré repeated the message sent by manager Jon Brady when he spoke about the need to stay positive as Cobblers look to arrest their current slump.

"You don't want to panic,” he added. “We are still in a good position. It's a blip but we are confident we will get going again.

"Obviously Saturday was very frustrating, especially to concede two late goals after being in front. We should have scored a second but we didn’t and we were punished.

"But we have been successful, this is probably our first real dip, and we have a full week of training now.

"We are working hard to put things right and we are staying positive and looking forward to Saturday’s game – you can’t be too negative.”

Resurgent Colchester United represents a tough assignment this weekend but after coming unstuck at Sixfields recently, it might suit Cobblers to get back on the road and continue their excellent away form.

"With how we finished last season and the way we started this year, teams are coming to our patch and making things difficult,” Appéré continued.

"You can't blame them, they are getting results doing that, so we have to work hard and do what we can on the training pitch to figure out ways to get through that and start beating these teams when they play like that.

"Potentially it could suit us this weekend but at the same time we have to focus on what we can do because we have a great group of players and I think we should be able to beat anyone on our day.

"Obviously Colchester have been on a bit of a run so we know it won't be easy, but we are looking to get back on track and go on a run ourselves between now and the end of the season.”