Jonathan Obika accepts he needs to shoulder his share of the burden for providing much-needed goals for St Mirren.
The striker is yet to get off the mark following his summer move from Oxford but is not alone by any means.
Saints have only scored three goals in seven Ladbrokes Premiership games ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Motherwell, with midfielders Kyle Magennis, Tony Andreu and Ilkay Durmus the only players to get off the mark in the league.
Manager Jim Goodwin has stressed that players all over the park need to weigh in and not leave the responsibility with the strikers, but Obika knows he needs to start finding the net.
“It comes with it, you are a striker, you have to get goals and deliver, you have to help the team,” said the 29-year-old, who came off the bench during last weekend’s goalless draw against Hearts.
“You know your role in the team and getting goals is one of the main ones for us.
“I feel I have settled in in terms of the town pretty well, I feel relaxed there. And in terms of the league, you want to put your best foot forward in terms of goals and getting results. So those are the things I want to do.
“I believe the goals are coming. We have got a solid base and we know what type of chances are coming and we just have to be ready to take them and deliver on the day.”
Obika feels Saints have prepared well ahead of the trip to Fir Park.
“It’s been a bit different this week. We have practised different finishes where we are replicating what we get in the game, so when it comes it is repetition and we feel fresh and we take them,” he said.
Obika will come up against a close friend when he takes on Motherwell.
“I’m good friends with Jermaine Hylton,” he said. “He has shown me a few barber shops and I’ve met up with him a few times. It will be good to come up against him for the first time. I played with him at Swindon, so now we will be up against each other.
“We are quite close, so it’s nice to have him not too far away.
“We have messaged each other this week about Saturday, but after the game we will probably speak more. We know what’s at stake.”
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