Casey Coughlin admits his start to the season has surpassed anything he set himself, as Pure Swansea‘s leading scorer prepares for Friday’s top-of-the-table trip to Aberystwyth Town.
The striker has six goals in the Novira Cymru South, seven more for Wales at the UEFA Regions’ Cup in Bosnia, and the August player of the month award to show for it.
“It’s gone way better than I would have expected at the start of the season,” he said. “You give yourself some targets and goals, but the way it’s going now, I think it’s fair to say I can maybe raise them, but obviously not get caught up in it.
“It’s still the start of the season, it’s a bit of form obviously, so hopefully it just continues, I can keep scoring and we can keep winning.”
‘The best club to play for in Swansea’
Coughlin says the form is a product of the environment, and he was in no doubt where Pure sit in the city’s football pecking order right now.
“It’s easy to say when you’re playing for the team, but it’s definitely the best club to play for in Swansea, I’d say, right now,” he said.
“The buzz around the place, the football, just everything seems to be going so smooth, and hopefully it keeps going over the next couple of months and we see where we are come December, January.”
He picked out Kyle Copp, the former Swansea City academy man, as the figure the young forwards lean on.
“Kyle is great, he always helps us out, especially us youngsters like me and Mase. He’ll always take the time to chat with you and do anything to better your game,” Coughlin said.
“He’s done it all before, so he’s definitely a role model for us boys, the standard we want to be at, and he always demands the best out of us.”
‘A random little town in Bosnia, wearing a Wales jersey’
The international break brought the highlight of his young career, seven goals in two games for Tîm Rhanbarthol Cymru before the group decider was lost to Zenica-Doboj.
“It was surreal to be training in a random little town in Bosnia, wearing a Wales jersey. You’d never imagine it, it’s something you dream of when you were a kid playing football, so I’m really proud and privileged to play for Wales,” he said.
“It was a crazy experience as a whole. Most of the boys we hadn’t met, as we’re still new to the league, and we were learning stuff about each other, but I think that’s why we did so well, because we clicked straight away.
“It was disappointing with the Bosnia game, but they were a very good side, and it was just one of those things that happens.”
‘I don’t know what’s happening to me’
The scoring run stretches back into last season, and Coughlin was as surprised as anyone by the award that followed it.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me at the minute. I finished off strong last season for the last seven or eight games, and thankfully it’s just picked up again,” he said.
“I was over the moon with player of the month. I never would have thought that would happen, especially in the first month. I was chuffed, and there’s massive help from the boys and Jack for playing me.”
Midwinter: ‘Sometimes you want to box him up’
His manager, Jack Midwinter, has watched the doubts that follow a striker up the levels fall away one by one.
“He’s somebody that has scored goals at every level he’s played at. Every time he steps up a league, maybe there’s a little bit of self-doubt whether he can do it, and there’s people in the leagues that definitely question whether he can,” the Pure boss said.
“But there’s one thing I tell him every year he plays for me, that I back him 100% to be successful at any level.
“As a young centre-forward he’s got loads and loads of potential, and he’s picking up interest all over the place. Sometimes you want to box him up and hide him away from people because you want to keep him forever, but he’s been brilliant and he’s getting the rewards for it now.”
Coughlin returned the compliment.
“Jack does everything right, to be fair. He’s got a great line between management and friendship, and I think that is a massive part of why we do so well,” he said. “He’s harsh, but he’s fair. He’ll pull you for a chat, whether it’s football or not, if you’re OK or if you’re not OK. If you have someone like that, you want to do the most for him.”
Aberystwyth next
Friday’s opponents, a point behind Pure after six games each, bring a different kind of test.
“I know they’re a big team, they always have been, especially coming down from the Welsh Prem,” Coughlin said. “They’ve got boys from all over the country and the UK, and I can imagine a lot of them have played in English leagues, so it’ll be interesting to see whether there’s a difference in football.
“If we do what we do best, then I don’t see why we can’t beat Aber. But it’ll be a tough test for us.”
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PURE SWANSEA: ‘A good start, that’s all it is’: Midwinter’s reality check after cup exit
The manager’s grounding message after the Trethomas defeat.
PURE SWANSEA: ‘They’re going to want to beat me’: Copp relishes Pontardawe reunion
Kyle Copp, the role model Coughlin looks up to.
PURE SWANSEA: Coughlin hat-trick takes his tally to seven in two games
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