20/20 Vision For Charles

Dion Charles celebration Barnsley penalty

Dion Charles set another Wanderers’ landmark with his twin strike in the first leg of the play-off semi-finals.

Charles scored the Whites’ first two goals in their 3-1 win at Barnsley on Friday night.

The Northern Ireland international rounded off a superb move to put Ian Evatt’s men ahead and then when he slotted home a second-half penalty reached 20 goals for the season.

Despite missing two months of the campaign from mid-February onwards with a knee injury, Charles became the first Wanderers’ player since John McGinlay in the mid-1990s to hit the 20-mark in successive seasons.

“Back-to-back. I've said it all the time, if I'm playing and I get the opportunities I will score goals,” said the 28-year-old.

“It's a pleasure to play in this team. Everyone showed (on Friday) what we can do and I'm the lucky one that gets on the end of the crosses.

 

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Dion Charles first goal Barnsley

“It's an incredible feeling again. It's been tough for me with the injury and being out for so long. I've had to work hard to get back and I feel fit and ready to go for more.”

Charles’ double at Oakwell made it three goals in two games to put him within one of last season’s total.

He has another opportunity to reach that figure when Wanderers face Barnsley in the return leg at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Tuesday night, with over 22,000 tickets sold so far to home fans.

And despite holding a two-goal advantage from an impressive showing in South Yorkshire, Charles knows there can be no let-up in the bid to reach Wembley for the chance to win promotion.

“They are a really good side. They showed what they can do and can hurt us if we have that little lapse of concentration,” he told Wanderers TV.

“It's going to be a good game on Tuesday. It's only half-time now. We’ve got a few things we can do better and go again on Tuesday and give the fans a performance they deserve because they were brilliant on Friday.

“They're like that every single away game. It means a lot to us and gives us that extra motivation to run that bit harder. It's there for us but we can't get too carried away yet. We’ve won one leg, there's still another leg to go, and we'll be ready and prepared for that.”

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