After his brace against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday took his tally for the season to five goals, Tristan Abrahams is already a quarter of the way to the 20-goal target he set himself at the start of the season.
The 21-year-old has been in fine form for the Exiles in the early stages of the season, and is still yet to lose in the six matches he has played in, winning five and drawing the other.
Ahead of tomorrow night’s Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Newcastle United at Rodney Parade - which is live on Sky Sports - Abrahams insists that the challenge for him is to become consistent as he chases down a goal tally he is yet to reach in a league season.
“Obviously being a player that has never reached that landmark, it’s going to be a bit of a shock when you come out and say it,” he said.
“I’m going to have to keep coming out and working hard to try and get more goals. Luckily I’ve been able to get a few goals early on, and hopefully I can become consistent with it and try to reach that landmark as soon as possible.”
The Exiles have made a positive start to the Sky Bet League Two season, and currently sit third in the table after winning two and drawing one of their opening three games.
Abrahams pointed towards the togetherness in the squad as a key factor in the encouraging start, while praising the new additions for how quickly they have adapted and been able to make an impact.
“I just feel like the group of boys we’ve got and the mentality we have is unreal to be honest.
“Everyone’s on the same page - the players, the staff - there’s a real good feeling around the training ground and everyone wants to work for each other. I think that’s been represented on the pitch.
“You can see the level and the standard of the players that have come in, everyone has slotted in very well and improved the team.
“I feel like we’ve gelled very well in a short period of time, and everyone’s working hard for each other and the manager, which is a bonus as well.”
Manager Michael Flynn has been encouraging the players to build play out from the back when the opportunity presents itself, however, as Abrahams says, the team’s ability to adapt to what is in front of them has been important in the early stages of the new campaign.
“The group of boys we’ve got down here at the moment is very diverse, we can do both sides of the game,” he said.
“At the moment this playing style is working well, but we can still mix it up and go long when we have to, and I think we’re reaping the rewards from that.
“Everyone is buying into the philosophy and, as you can see, it’s working well at the moment. It’s all about kicking on now.”
Abrahams is not underestimating the challenge that the Magpies - who defeated fellow Sky Bet League Two side Morecambe 7-0 in the previous round - will present on Wednesday, however the youngster is relishing the chance to test himself against a Premier League outfit.
“My aim is just to enjoy my football while I’m here, and now I’ve got another opportunity to play against a team from the highest level of English football.
“It’s a chance for me to show that I can play at that level, so I’ll try to get another good performance in and help the boys to try and win."