Jeff Hughes hopes that his return to goal-scoring form can help the Magpies climb back into the Play-Off places.
Hughes netted for the second game running in the 2-0 win against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
The midfielder ended 2011.12 as the team’s top-scorer, having scored 17 goals across all competitions, but this season the goals have not been as regular, largely because Hughes has filled a number of roles.
Since taking up the left wing-back role in the 3-4-1-2 formation, the former Bristol Rovers man has found himself getting into better positions and he hopes that he can continue to add to his tally on a regular basis.
Hughes told Magpie Player: “I’m steady on the left now and getting in the box and getting more chances, so I just hope that continues.
“It’s our third or fourth game using the new formation and I’ve got a couple of goals - I’m delighted.
“I suppose at this stage it’s like last year, we just need to start picking up points.
“If we can put a wee run together, we’ve got a good chance of getting back up there.”
Hughes was just pleased to get back to winning ways, following the weekend’s loss to Leyton Orient, even if it was not the prettiest of encounters.
“It was an awful game in awful conditions, but I think we caused more trouble for ourselves than they did,” he continued.
“We tried to play the way we normally do, passing the ball, and we kind of made our own mistakes, which gave them a couple of chances.
“We ground out the game and, in the second half once the wind was behind us, there was only ever going to be one winner.
“You still have to get the ball in the net and it’s a bit of magic from Yoann [Arquin] and I just had to be in the right place at the right time, then Zokes stole my second goal as well.”
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