Joe Garner keen to build a partnership with ex-Ipswich team mate Kieffer Moore at Wigan

Joe Garner is keen to build a partnership with his ex-Ipswich team-mate Kieffer Moore as the returning striker bids to end Wigan’s goal drought.
Joe GarnerJoe Garner
Joe Garner

Garner, 31, was at Ipswich in the 2017-18 season with Moore.While Moore, 27, was sent on loan to Rotherham, Garner grabbed 10 goals for the then Championship Tractor Boys.But Garner will have to wait to make his first appearance in a Wigan shirt alongside Moore.Garner will travel with the Wigan squad to QPR as he recovers from a rib injury.But as he prepares for his comeback, Moore has been in the wars.Moore is out of action for the next two weeks having tweaked his calf in the 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.But with Wigan now four games without a goal, Garner – who has missed the last three games since the 3-0 defeat at Preston – is keen to end that run.He said: “I think as a striker you are always judged on your goals.“Big Kieffer has been up there, his hold-up play has been top-drawer.“He’s a good player, he will get his goals and between us both hopefully we can chip away and help the lads out.”Garner joined Wigan in the summer of 2018 while Moore signed from Barnsley this summer.And Garner has backed the forward to be in the goals.He said: “I was at Ipswich when Kieffer was there.“He left and went to Rotherham so I know him quite well.“He is a top player, I think he will get goals here.“Between us if we can help each other out and a bit of competition I think is brilliant.“If you keep the shirt if you are scoring goals, then fair enough.”Garner netted eight times for Wigan last year but he is not setting himself a target.The striker’s aim is not a personal goal tally but to get Wigan into the top half of that Championship table.He said: “Always in this league if you get to double figures it has been a good year.“It is a tough league. You can ask anyone it is Saturday, Tuesday and it is more about the team rather than my goals. “If we can push on into the top half it will be a great year.“Hopefully we can do that.”Garner was ordered off in the 3-0 defeat to PNE by referee Jeremy Simpson after he was hit in the face by a Ben Pearson shot.North End took the lead with Garner off the pitch as Sean Maguire nodded home Paul Gallagher’s corner in the sixth minute.It was believed that Garner was then brought off in the 26th minute due to concussion.But boss Paul Cook revealed it was a rib injury that saw Garner unable to play on.Garner was not happy about the referee’s decision that day and still does not know what happened.“I asked the referee to stay on and he said go off,” said Garner.“I don’t know the rules or whatever it is and I still don’t know them now!“It is a funny one really because obviously I don’t mind heading it away and I got made to go off so I was not happy.“I tried to speak to him (the referee) at half-time but he did not really want to speak so there is nothing really I can do.”