Bristol Rovers caretaker boss Tommy Widdrington was not surprised Jonah Ayunga haunted Portsmouth after they turned down the chance to sign the striker in the summer.
Playing just a few miles away from Fratton Park for National League South side Havant & Waterlooville, Pompey ran the rule over Ayunga but passed up on him.
On Tuesday he made them pay with a brilliant brace for the Gas in a massive 3-1 win, ending a 10-game winless run and easing their relegation fears.
Ayunga was among Rovers’ young strikers who were criticised by Paul Tisdale in his final press conference, but the 23-year-old responded in stunning fashion with his first league goals for the Gas.
“I haven’t been hiding Jonah anywhere,” Widdington laughed. “That might tell Mr (Ian) Holloway it hasn’t been me that’s been picking the team.
“The fella scored two goals, but it might as well have been a hat-trick with the header he cleared away from our six-yard box.
“He played on their (Portsmouth) doorstep for a year and he scored 30 goals so they missed out on him there.
“But, ultimately, there’s nobody inside that building who doubts Jonah Ayunga.
“To say that he’s been itching for his first league goal, I think it’s his second league start so now he’s two in two. From my point of view that’s prolific.
"Jonah will get the plaudits because he scored two goals and he’ll be really shy and timid in his interviews afterwards. Believe me, that’s not what he was like for 80 minutes in that game, you could ask any of their players, he’s given them an absolutely torrid time."
Widdrington has been heavily criticised by supporters for the way this squad was assembled in recent transfer windows, but retains full faith in the players’ ability to move Rovers clear of the bottom four.
“I think there’s a minority of different people thinking it’s not a decent squad,” he said.
“Because of the results, I can’t argue that they’ve underperformed but there are a lot of factors in that.
“Anybody who’s watched that, whether it’s on iFollow or if you’re lucky enough to get in will be proud.
“I’m gutted that we couldn’t have fans in here. I’m standing here after performances thinking the Gas would go home absolutely delighted with that.
“There’s a DNA that runs through this city on the blue side and they want that kind of football, but ultimately they want W’s in the column.
“It’s been a long time since, so I told them in there to hold this feeling because it’s buoyant in there. But remember it’s taken a long time to get it back again, so don’t let it happen again. The balls in their court.”
