Harry Cornick has admitted there have been “dark times” for him at Bristol City this season after the forward found the net against Millwall in what was only his second Championship appearance of the campaign.
The former Luton Town man scored the Robins’ second goal on Tuesday evening as Liam Manning’s side extended their unbeaten run to four matches with a 2-0 win at The Den. Zak Vyner had given the Reds the lead early in the second half when he turned home from close range before Cornick put the result beyond doubt seven minutes from time.
Having featured off the bench against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup in August, the 29-year-old had to wait another six months for his next City appearance. Manning had admitted the versatile attacker would be allowed to explore his options in the January transfer window but with no move coming to fruition, he was handed a brief cameo and a first league outing in the Reds’ defeat to Swansea City.
While Cornick confessed it has been difficult being on the fringes of the playing squad for so much of the season so far, he insists moments like his late strike at The Den make the hard work on the training ground worthwhile.
“Once you put it in the back of the net it’s indescribable,” Cornick told BBC Radio Bristol after the full-time whistle at The Den. “I’ve not felt that in a while so it felt good and then not so good when you’re at the bottom of a pile-on. You see Sinclair Armstrong on top of you and you’re thinking, ‘You’re not even on the pitch. I’ve come on for you, what are you doing on top of me?’
“It’s nice that all the lads have been super supportive of me, not just tonight but throughout the season because it’s been dark times, it’s been tough work but moments like that make it all worth it.
“That’s football,” he continued. “Football’s a horrible sport at times but it’s also a wonderful sport. You see the good bits tonight and your phone’s blowing up, everyone’s being super nice to you and it’s what people see that it’s a great thing. But there have been dark times so the team has been good to me, the Mrs has been good to me, family and friends have been good to me.
“It’s been a long process but it’s about the team really, it’s about getting the three points tonight at a tough place to come to and keep us moving forward hopefully.”
With their win over Millwall on Tuesday evening, Manning’s Robins have moved level on points with West Brom who occupy the final place in the top six. Only goal difference is keeping City out of the play-off places with the Baggies five goals better off than the Reds.
The messaging from within the City camp, and Manning himself, so far this season has been to not focus on the table and instead operate on a game-by-game basis. However, a win against Hull City on Saturday could be enough to see the Robins climb above Albion and even Coventry City, if other results were to go their way.
Of course, there is still an awful lot of football to be played between now and the end of the campaign and therefore a lot of points up for grabs, but Cornick is making it clear what he and the group want to achieve between now and the end of May.
“It’s a big win for the team to keep us moving forward in the right direction towards our end goal which is promotion to the Premier League,” he said. “It’s a great feeling personally to get a goal, I’ve been working hard, kept my head down and credit to the team to keep me going and get me a goal.
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“The team spirit in this changing room is unbelievable. It’s the driving force behind the team, it’s going to be the deciding factor in how far we can go this year. The team is everything, it’s all about the team, the gaffer always says that so anything I can do personally to help the team I’ll always do and it’s nice tonight to get a goal.
“If I can help the team out, if I can score some goals or whatever it is to help the team out, I’m a team player,” he continued. “It’s all about that really and keep on winning games. On to Saturday now, no time to reflect.
“Keep winning games and getting points to see how far it can take us because the team is special here, it really is. I think we can go all the way hopefully.”
After Saturday’s clash with Hull City, the Reds head into the March international break with games against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane and Norwich City at Ashton Gate. With only 11 games left of the regular Championship season, the next month or two is set to be decisive in the Robins’ season.