HE is enjoying his best season in a Darlington shirt and Harvey Saunders is now determined to keep his place in the team and is greedy for more goals.

The striker credits manager Tommy Wright with the improvements in his game that have seen him hit the net four times this season, doubling his tally for the club.

Saunders bagged a brace in last Saturday’s 2-1 win at FC United of Manchester, while this season he is close to doubling his number of career starts too, having been in the starting line-up five times (he has made 12 starts and 44 substitute appearances).

That statistic is a reflection of Wright’s valuation of the 21-year-old, who until this season was largely used as an impact player, his electric pace seeing him used as substitute.

“Hopefully I can get more goals and more starts now,” said Saunders.

“This season I’ve started more games, the gaffer is showing some belief in me, I love him to bits, and I’m hoping I can get more goals now.

“Tommy has been working with me, I’m improving and I want to be in that first team.

“He stays back after training and works with me. Every Tuesday and Thursday he’ll be there afterwards, I don’t even have to ask now, he’ll do extra with me and it’s about different types of finishing, composure on the ball.

“It’s simple details that bring you on, simple runs that he’s told me to do. He’s pretty much started from scratch with me.

“This is the first season where I’ve thought I really want to get into that XI, I really want to push on and get there – I’ve always wanted it, but now it’s a time where I’m thinking that I deserve it.”

This season’s four goals have come in his last five league starts, giving Saunders a strong claim to start this weekend at Blackwell Meadows when Boston United are the opposition, despite Reece Styche’s return from international duty.

Saunders’ high work-rate has endeared him to supporters, and it was precisely that attribute which resulted in him scoring the winning goal at the weekend, putting a United defender under pressure and forcing an opportunity which he took to put Quakers into the lead.

He added: “I saw their defender have a touch. I closed him down, that’s why I like to do, and luckily the keeper then came out and I was able to knock it around him.”

However, an opportunity for a hat-trick was missed, the ball getting caught under Saunders’ feet with the net gaping and the United goalkeeper out of position.

“I had too much time to think about it,” admitted Saunders. “It was a great ball by Ben O’Hanlon, I tried to take a touch but I should’ve just smacked it.

“We got the three points though, that’s all that matters.

“Everyone was buzzing afterwards in the changing room, it was a different atmosphere. We just to press on now and get the next three points.”

At Blackwell Meadows on Saturday, however, it is unlikely that Darlington will be handed a goal in the same fortuitous circumstances that saw Saunders score his first goal last Saturday - a United defender inadvertently headed O’Hanlon’s cross into the Darlington striker, who at close-range reacted quickly to turn it into the net.

He added: “It either hit my shoulder or my head, I’m not sure, but as long as it went into the net I’m not really bothered.

“A goal is a goal, it doesn’t matter what it looks like, it means so much to score. And especially for this club, it’s my club and I love it.”