Promise Omochere is clearly enjoying his football right now.
Bristol Rovers’ No9 marked another full 90 minutes for the fifth consecutive Sky Bet League Two fixture on Saturday, helping the Gas to a hard-fought 2-1 home win over Barrow AFC.
It was another impressive outing by the 24-year-old too, one that saw Omochere provide the assist for Fabrizio Cavegn’s lashed effort – Rovers’ second of the game – and named the Man Of The Match at full-time at The Memorial Stadium.
“It feels really good to get this victory,” he told BRTV. “It’s four wins in a row now and we’re picking up a bit of momentum so we’re really happy with the result.
“We played well in the first half. It was close to a perfect half. It was important to get the first goal, especially in this league. Every time we’ve scored first we’ve gone on to win which is a good habit to get into. To get two in the first half put us on our way.
“I’m really happy for Fabrizio. He works really hard in training, he’s come over here and he is hungry, and he wants to do well. It’s good to knock it down for him and he took the chance really, really well.
“We work alongside each other in training and after training and you could see from his celebrations just how much he wants to do well, and he wants the team to do well. I’m really delighted for him.”
Fourteen new players joined Bristol Rovers in the summer transfer window and, in a lot of ways, Omochere himself feels like a new signing.
A debut campaign in the blue-and-white quarters started with a lot of, well, promise, but a string of unfortunate injuries led to the attacker missing a significant portion of the season.
Having been carefully managed by Head Coach Darrell Clarke and the medical team all the way through pre-season and the early weeks of the campaign, Omochere is feeling the benefits of his efforts to get back to his best both on and off the pitch.
A slightly different role for the forward – albeit not an unfamiliar one – has helped with that too. Featuring more on the flank in recent games, Omochere has proven to be too tough to handle for many League Two defenders; as evidenced by his 88 duels won in eight league matches, the most of any player in the division by a clear margin.
“Being out wide is tougher, physically, than being up top in the sense of getting up and down the wing,” Omochere explained. “But the gaffer seems really happy with how I’m doing. Credit to him and my teammates, who are helping me, and I do feel like I’m doing alright. I did play there a lot at Fleetwood Town so it’s not something I’m not familiar with. I’m happy to do the job.
“I feel like I’ve learned my body. I feel like I’ve really kicked on in terms of my fitness and my fitness levels. That’s another 90 minutes for me on Saturday, and that’s in five games in a row, which I’ve never done in my career. That’s credit to the staff for managing me really well. I’m feeling the rewards of that now.”
The cherry on the icing on top of the cake for Omochere would have been a goal to his name in Saturday’s match. The forward went close, notably finding the side netting late in the first half.
Chances are coming the attacker’s way and Omochere is calm and confident. He knows the goals are not too far away. And he’ll be ready to take those opportunities with both hands.
He added: “That goal is coming. As an attacker you’re judged by your goals but the gaffer and my teammates are telling me how well I’m doing, and I was honoured to get the Man Of The Match award for this game. I know if I keep doing what I’m doing, the goals will come.
“I’m a physical presence and I want to help the team in any aspect, any way shape or form. I’m happy to do that. Look, I wear the No9 so I’m always going to be judged on the goals I score, but I’m happy right now and I feel like I’m doing well.
“I’ve enjoyed this run of games, I feel like the run of goals is coming, but the most important thing is the team is picking up wins and three points.”
