NEWPORT County AFC’s Yan Klukowski opened his scoring account on Tuesday but it is games rather than goals that the midfielder is targeting in the coming weeks.

The summer signing from Forest Green Rovers struck for the Amber Army in Tuesday’s 2-1 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat to Swindon Town having been given a rare chance to start.

Klukowski suffered an injury just before the beginning of the campaign and has seen his opportunities limited since. Tuesday was his first start for the Exiles since their Capital One Cup clash with Reading in August.

And in a refreshingly honest move, Klukowski admits that his County career so far can be summed up in just one word.

“Frustration is definitely the word I’d use, unfortunately I picked up a little niggle leading up to the first game of the season, which probably stopped me starting that game,” he explained.

“Since I’ve been fully fit the form our midfield three, the trio of Mark Byrne, Adam Chapman and Lee Minshull has been excellent, they have been playing exceptionally well, so I’ve had to be patient and wait my turn.

“It’s a case of waiting for my game time and hopefully catching the eye of the gaffer with any chance I get.

“I’m unhappy to go out of this competition because it was another chance to play and at the moment I just need game time be it in the league, cup or a friendly.

“To play against fantastic opposition like Swindon was a good experience and I got a lot out of it as I am sure all the lads did.

“I’ve stepped up to an improved level with an increased intensity and it takes some getting used to.

“But the more game time I get, the more I will continue to adapt to it, I am hungry and motivated to prove myself at this level.

“The gaffer has been fair and honest with me whenever I’ve spoken to him and once I get my chance to make a league start I need to take it and keep my place in the team.”

Klukowski admits he had mixed feelings on opening his scoring account.

“I’d have liked to score and affect the game with a victory, but it wasn’t to be,” he said.

“We had a lot of injury problems before the game and we had little scenarios develop through the game with more injuries and we had to adapt and the senior boys pulled the young lads through as best we could against a very strong Swindon side, but unfortunately we just ran out of time at the end.

“We had some chances in the first half, we should’ve scored before we did, but we finally hit the back of the net and with one goal in it there is always nervousness from the side ahead, but perhaps the finishing was the difference between the two sides and you expect that the higher you go up the leagues, teams get more and more clinical.”