Why personal experience meant Wigan Athletic boss had 'no worries' about Dara Costelloe's goal 'drought'
Ryan Lowe insists he never had any doubts about Dara Costelloe's ability to score goals - after going through droughts during his own playing career.
Costelloe marked his 10th game for Latics at the weekend with the opening goal in the 3-0 victory over high-flying Doncaster Rovers.
Having brought him to the club in the summer from Premier League Burnley, Lowe believes the goal will be 'the first of many' for the Irishman.
"I'm buzzing for Dara," said the Latics head coach. "I told him that it would be there for him...he just needed to have a calmness and a composure about him when it arrived.
"He was in the right place at the right time to score the first goal...and in the second half, he went through, he could have had another.
"I've told him we haven't brought him in to score three, or four, or five goals....now he's scored his first, hopefully that's the first of many."
Lowe had consistently claimed he was not worried about Costelloe's huge contribution to the team not being reflected in the area that matters most to a striker.
Having been Latics’ top scorer in pre-season, the ball just had been bouncing for Costelloe once the action started for real last month.
"It will mean the world to him," said Lowe. "But it's like with anything...if you keep dwelling on it, then it can become an issue.
"We've been working with him in training, extra practice with the strikers, and he's always the same...he just wants to score, score, score.
"I'm just pleased that he's got off the mark, and he could have had another in the second half.
"The thing with Dara is he's making chances, he's creating chances for himself, and he's getting into areas where he will score goals.
"As I've always said from day one, if the stats are saying you're getting into positions where you will score goals, eventually you will score goals...whether it's a worldie or one off the backside.
"Whatever it looks like, it doesn't matter, and now he's off the mark, hopefully that's the first of many."
Having been a striker himself, Lowe was fully invested in Costelloe's situation.
"I did have spells in my own playing career when I did go a few games without a goal," added Lowe, who scored more than 200 goals during a long and distinguished career that included spells at Bury, Crewe Alexandra, Tranmere Rovers, MK Dons, Sheffield Wednesday, Shrewsbury Town and Chester City.
"But then again you go on runs where you're scoring goals week in, week out, and you feel like you're never going to miss.
"It's my job to make sure the strikers - and all the players - are given that confidence, which we do. After that, it's on them to go and perform, and that's what they are doing.
"I'll never have any worries about our strikers, because the way we play, and the positions they get into, eventually they will all score goals."