Evans after goal spree finale for Pompey

Evans believes he has more strikes in the locker this season as he battles it out at the head of the Blues’ goal charts.

Conor Chaplin joined Marc McNulty as the club’s top scorer with his effort against Exeter on Tuesday night.

That took the youngster’s tally up to nine in all competitions, with Evans and Gary Roberts on eight to date.

Evans’ return included a burst of three goals in successive games which culminated in him being named League Two’s player of the month for December.

The 27-year-old, who arrived from Fleetwood in the summer, is confident there are more goals to come from him over the final 13 games of the season.

He told of the banter flying between the players in the pack of leading goalscorers.

But the player who came through the ranks at Manchester United feels there is plenty more he can do in front of goal.

And after fully recovering from a hamstring injury, he’s gunning to show that.

Evans said: ‘Who should you bet on to finish top scorer? Me!

‘I’ve got a few more goals left in me yet.

‘I’m over the injury and I’m fit and ready to go.

‘There’s bit of banter going around, but it’s only friendly banter.

‘I can’t say too much at the moment because Chappers (Chaplin) has gone ahead of me.

‘They might be serious, but I’m not really that bothered about who tops the goalscoring charts.

‘I’m pleased with the return, though.

‘It’s nice to score goals, but it’s obviously about the team.

‘If I scored no goals and we went up I’d be happier than if I was top of the charts and we didn’t go up.

‘We have a bit of a laugh and joke about it but it’s harmless.

‘Hopefully, I can get a couple more between now and the end of the season and we end up going up.

‘Then it would have been a good season all around.’

Pompey’s bunch of goal-getters have produced a steady return for the campaign.

But they find themselves a long way short of the division’s top marksman.

Leyton Orient’s Jay Simpson leads the way with 23 goals for the season.

Only three teams have scored more goals than Paul Cook’s side, however, and Evans feels that highlights the benefit of having goal threats in different areas.

He added: ‘We haven’t had a player running away with the goals.

‘There hasn’t been a Jay Simpson running away with 15 or 20 goals for the season.

‘It’s been nice that everyone has been chipping in with it.

‘That’s the way it’s worked out. When it comes to us we’ve got four or five players teams have to watch, in terms of nicking a goal. That’s good.’