Putting the ball into the back of the net sounds like a simple job, a job that anyone can do. Well, in football, it's the hardest job in the world.Just look at the top tier of English football, millions, sometimes hundreds of millions, can be spent on players to put the ball over that white line and into that big net.For Lichfield City, scoring goals has never been the problem.
Their meteoric rise to step five has been sensational and full of goals.During the 2021/2022 season, the club's front three of Max Dixon, Luke Childs and Jack Edwards were the ones who were scoring all of the goals, with Dan Lomas, too, excelling for Ivor Green's men.
The club went into the summer transfer market and did what they always do, they scoured the market to find a man to put the ball into the back of the net.
As it turned out, the man they were looking for was right in front of them. During the JW Hunt Cup final against Tividale, Dan Smith, better known by his teammates as Wonder, started up front.
The forward had a goal ruled out in the final but looked dangerous throughout.
Well, he was to be the man who would solve the club's problems, he would be the man to score 20+ goals for the season.
Well, since he completed his move to the club, he is on track to do exactly that.
The striker plays the game at 100 miles per hour and seems to be the exact type of forward who would thrive under Green’s tutelage.
He will run himself into the ground, harrying and haranguing defenders to submission. He is a player that opposition defenders hate playing against, but a player that supporters, and his teammates, love.
The forward, despite not scoring against Romulus this weekend, was once again crucial and his constant harassing of opponents earned him a warm round of applause as he trudged off the pitch in the second half of the 3-0 win.
"I think we played quite well in the first half, they came here with a gameplan to try and shut up shop and frustrate us," Smith said after the victory. "They learned from the Vase game a few weeks ago, we kept the ball positively and broke them down in the end.
"For me personally, because they kept dropping back, there was a lot less space for me to run into so I had to drop deep and play short but I think I adapted well."
There was a concerning moment for one of the Midland Premier Division's top goalscorers when he received a ball on the turn and tried to race away down the right before winning a corner for his side.
Smith, who has had injury troubles in the past, looked to be holding his hamstring with some discomfort.
"I've had tight hamstrings for years, throughout my career it's an ongoing thing and I'm trying to manage it one game at a time and fingers crossed it doesn't let me down," the striker commented.
The forward may well best encapsulate the togetherness of this squad, something that hasn't been seen since the heady days of the 2021/2022 season.
The players feel it, the coaches feel it and the manager feels it - everyone is pulling in the same direction.
Smith, even he would admit, is not a very quiet person, he brings the group together and his passion when he's supporting his teammates is second to none.
It seems that Green and assistant Wayne Chapman, as well as coach Jack Salmon, have worked their magic once again but what did appeal the most about Lichfield City.
"The whole situation with what's going on at the club, the team and the facilities are constantly moving forward," the in-form striker said. "The aim for the club is to progress up the leagues as far as we can and that's something I desperately wanted to be a part of."
He is certainly a part of the team now with the huge impact he has made - both on and off the pitch.
Lichfield have been in a similar situation before, in terms of promotion.
The dreaded P word won’t be mentioned within the coaching staff until the final day of the season but it’s hard not to get excited about the inform team of the division.
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