Source: Team_Talk
Stokes wants even more this season
Hibernian striker Anthony Stokes scored 23 goals in his debut season at Easter Road but he is determined to bring more to the team this term.[LNB] Stokes was quickly off the mark when he netted his side's first goal in their 3-2 Scottish Premier League opening victory at Motherwell.[LNB]The Republic of Ireland forward swept home Hibernian's equaliser from close range as they bounced back from an early goal by John Sutton to claim three points.[LNB]And he felt he contributed more as Hibs overcame a difficult start to edge an entertaining encounter that helped banish some of the memories of their late collapse in the 6-6 Fir Park draw in May.[LNB]The 22-year-old said: "I just want to try to do as much as I can for the team.[LNB]"Against Motherwell I think, more so than last year, I tried to help the team a little bit more.[LNB]"I tried to get up and win a few more headers and be a bit more physical.[LNB]"Last year, in a lot of games, I scored goals but I didn't bring a lot to the team.[LNB]"I obviously just want to score as many goals as possible but maybe try and do one or two bits extra."[LNB]Hibs manager John Hughes stressed that hard work from his strikers would be crucial to their success this season.[LNB]Hughes surprisingly blamed his strikers for not working hard enough immediately after they lost a four-goal lead on their last visit to Lanarkshire.[LNB]"Hibs are at their best when they play with a pride and a passion and a real desire and it has to be 11 of us," Hughes said.[LNB]"If one or two of the guys up front want to take a day off and forget to put that in, then that's when we're vulnerable.[LNB]"If we do that, then the football comes and we'll always score goals."[LNB]Motherwell had started off the better side and had a strong grievance about Hibernian's second goal with goalkeeper Darren Randolph claiming he had been impeded by Sol Bamba before Paul Hanlon bundled the ball over with the aid of an arm.[LNB]Sutton had a strong penalty claim turned down moments before Liam Miller doubled the visitors' advantage, although they soon got a spot-kick, which Jamie Murphy converted.[LNB]Losing three goals was a big disappointment to the home team after they went four Europa League games with the loss of just one goal, which came from the penalty spot.[LNB]And midfielder Keith Lasley knows they cannot afford to be so generous when they take on Odense in the first leg of their play-off in Denmark on Thursday.[LNB]"The European games are a slightly different type of game," he said.[LNB]"But if we're going to get through this round, we can't be conceding three goals in a game. As a team we need to defend better.[LNB]"Hopefully on Thursday we can do that and also have an eye for goal ourselves."[LNB]
