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‘Serve them up – and I’ll finish them!’ – That’s the message from Eoin Toal, who whet his appetite for goalscoring at Wanderers at Lincoln on Friday night.
The Northern Irish defender grabbed his first goal since moving to English football in the summer and is now looking to follow in the footsteps of goal-scoring centre-halves like David Wheater, Sam Allardyce, Gudni Bergsson and countryman Gerry Taggart by supplying a regular source for Bolton.
“If I can chip in with goals it can only help the team,” he told The Bolton News. “I think sometimes it is belief. Have the will to go and head the ball.
“Aaron Morley is a great deliverer of the ball, so hopefully we can all start getting a few more now from set pieces because it is there to be attacked.”
Toal scored at Lincoln in front of more than 1,200 travelling supporters, who responded by adding his name to a song previously dedicated to centre forwards like Owen Coyle or Eoin Doyle.
“It was an amazing feeling – hopefully there are loads more,” he said.
“The chant was excellent, I heard that one. That gave me a great lift during the game.
“Over a few years I probably only scored five or six times for Derry but I’ve said for a while now that it is something I want to add to my game. I want to keep scoring and I think when you come to a place like Lincoln a set piece can really help you.”
Although his early days at Bolton were hampered by injury, the last month has been a breakthrough time for Toal as he filled the gaps left by Ricardo Santos and Gethin Jones.
“Look, 12 months ago I probably wouldn’t have seen myself playing for a club like Bolton Wanderers,” he said.
“I’ve said it many times but it really is a great honour to play for this club. I am very lucky to have got this move over.
“The year has been enjoyable. There have been ups and downs, I have had a few injuries, but I have ended it by playing a few games and I am feeling good.”
Though Toal has caught the eye and grabbed the headlines, the 23-year-old is quick to acknowledge the role played by team-mate, Will Aimson, in the new look back three of recent weeks.
“Will stepped in and he’s a really good footballer who has helped me a lot,” he said.
“I’ve played alongside him and Rico now and they have both given me loads. I have learned a lot.
“Will has been talking to me in games, if I have questions he is happy to talk me through things, he has been brilliant with me.”
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