Maswanhise off the mark but demands more

Zimpapers Sports Hub

TAWANDA Maswanhise needed just two minutes to open his Scottish Premiership account for the new season, but the Zimbabwe international admitted mixed emotions after missing a penalty in Motherwell’s dramatic 3-3 draw with St Mirren on Sunday.

“That’s football. You score one and then you have the chance to make it two, but the keeper made a good save,” said Maswanhise.

“Sometimes these things happen. The important thing is I didn’t let it affect the rest of my game. I kept going, kept working for the team.”

The 23-year-old finished as the league’s top scorer last term with 17 Premiership goals.

“It was tough to take. We were in complete control at 2-0 and then suddenly we are behind at half-time. Football can change very quickly. We had to look at ourselves and say, ‘this is not good enough’, but also remind ourselves that we had 45 minutes to fix it.”

Substitute Jardell Kanga volleyed home a stoppage-time equaliser on his debut to rescue a point, sparking wild celebrations among the travelling support.

“The boys showed great mentality. To come from that situation, away from home, and still find a way to get something from the game shows what this group is about. We never stopped believing. Jardell came on and took his chance brilliantly. That is what squads are for.”

Maswanhise said he was pleased to get off the mark early but insisted there is far more to come as he targets another prolific campaign.

“It is always good to score in the first game. As a striker, you want to hit the ground running. Last season gave me a lot of confidence, but I have put that behind me now. I have set new targets for myself. I want to score more goals, create more chances and help the team finish higher in the table.”

The Warriors forward acknowledged the growing expectations around him following his breakthrough campaign but said he is blocking out the noise.

“People will talk about last season, but I don’t listen too much to that. I know what I am capable of and I know I can still improve. There are areas of my game I want to work on. The manager has been pushing me in training, and I am hungry to keep getting better.”

Manager Alfred Johansson praised his squad’s resilience after the comeback.

“I am obviously proud and impressed once again with the spirit of this group of players. We keep on believing until the last second of the game. To come back from that triple punch in nine minutes at the end of the first half and make it 3-3, that’s a strong mentality.”

Maswanhise is now focused on building on Sunday’s strike as Motherwell seek another strong campaign.

“The target is to keep improving and help the team as much as I can. Last season was a good one for me, but I don’t want to look back and be satisfied with what I achieved. I want to work harder, score more goals and help Motherwell compete at the top end of the league,” he said.