As far back as he can remember, Tommy Conway has always wanted to score goals. Since he first started kicking a football, Bristol City’s man of the moment has always been a striker, priding himself on his finishing and that moment when the ball hits the back of the net, “there’s no better feeling”, as he describes.
Certainly his record for the Robins first-team speaks for itself this season - eight appearances in the Championship and League Cup, five goals and two assists, each finish ever so slightly different. The boy clearly knows how to find space in the area and gaps between those two posts.
Brought up on a diet of Robin van Persie, Olivier Giroud and Harry Kane, Conway admits they’re different types of striker to him but they all share an insatiable desire to trouble the scoresheet on a regular basis.
But if you want the perfect example of what Conway is as a footballer, it’s not necessarily his glancing header against Cardiff City, nor his sharp near post dart at Blackpool to finish housemate Alex Scott’s low centre, it’s probably what occurred in injury time at Adams Park.
In a Carabao Cup tie against Wycombe Wanderers, in which City were already leading 2-1. With Semenyo having closed down a defender and made a challenge, the ball broke to Conway. Faced with a 1v1 situation against goalkeeper Tyla Dickenson, most traditional goal-hungry strikers would have elected to shift the ball past the onrushing stopper and then tap into an empty net.
We’ve not yet established Conway’s mathematical capabilities but there’s strong evidence to suggest he can, consciously or unconsciously perform goalscoring probabilities (we won't be using xG just yet) in the space of barely a few seconds.
That’s why instead of taking Dickenson on, Conway instead drew the ‘keeper and retreatring defender towards him and then rolled a pass into the path of Antoine Semenyo who scored with his first touch, literally so given it wasn’t even a shot that led to the ball crossing the line.
“That’s just me, I’m a team player, I’m just not one to just be going for goal,” Conway said. “The goal against Wycombe, when I set Antoine up, shows you I’m doing what’s best for my team. I’m never one for being selfish or take something on for myself if someone’s in a better opportunity to score. I’m always going to set them up because ultimately I need what’s best for the team and that can be the difference between 0 points, one point or three points.
“When I picked the ball up and I saw Antoine I knew I was going to square it, it was just about getting the timing right for when the goalie and the defender were there because he had the best chance of scoring.
“I’m more, what does the team need and the gaffer is all for that.”
In his own words, Conway is living the dream right now. His aim at the start of the season was just to get into the first team but such has been his impact he’s now setting, as yet undisclosed, for goals and assists.
It stands to reason that at some stage this hot streak will cool down but, in a way, that’s okay because although his baseline statistics reveal an incredibly promising talent, there’s much more to the 20-year-old’s game then that almost priceless commodity of being able to be in the right place at the right time when it comes to the penalty area.
“Probably the energy,” he says, when asked what he’s been most pleased about in terms of his contribution outside of scoring. “I’ve really enjoyed just working hard for the team, trying to be a nuisance up top. I really enjoyed that aspect of playing since coming into the team. And that’s all I want to keep on doing, being a pest, keep working hard and don’t let defenders have any time on the ball.
“That’s just my game. The gaffer always says, ‘do what you do best’. The last thing a defender wants is someone after you for 90 minutes, always onto you. I just try and impose my game on defenders.”
Conway had a handful of first-team appearances before this season, and had been training with the first-team for getting on 18 months, so it has helped him acclimatise to a degree and he admits he now feels part of the senior set-up, rather than the young pup among the group.
The presence of fellow academy graduates such as best mate Scott, Ayman Benarous, Ryley Towler, Sam Bell, Dylan Kadji and older figures such as Zak Vyner and Max O’Leary eases such a process, as it can be a daunting prospect, but Pearson’s careful and patient squad-building, outside of an individual’s ability, has also leaned on character.
The “right type of player” extends beyond what an individual can bring to the field, as evidenced by Matty James and Andy King; particularly the latter who may not have made the most significant impact on the field of play, but has a huge influence in the dressing room as a wise head, setter of standards but also a bridge to the younger elements of the squad whose respective roles have become more prominent over these last few seasons due to their talent but also the financial restrictions the Robins are operating under.
As good as the aforementioned youngsters are, and those others threatening a breakthrough in the future such as Duncan Idehen, Josh Owers and Rapahel Ayaoye the right environment has to be created to help them succeed.
“Last year, I spent a lot of time with Nahki (Wells),” Conway adds. “This year, I’m really close with Andy King, I can always go to him about anything - on the pitch, off the pitch - he’s like a big brother in this environment and I’ve gotten close to him and really enjoy spending time with him.
“It’s not even just Andy, all the more experienced lads - Matty James, fantastic; Kal Naismith, even though he’s new, he’s so good with the young lads; Bents, I could go on - it’s just for me, Kingy we have a bond and we get on. I feel the togetherness is much better than what it was last year and I think that’s really helped us on the pitch.
“We’re closer as a squad now, and it’s what happens off the pitch that helps you on it. Naturally progression, everyone has had a year to get to know one another. We go for team meals, not many players get off here so we hang around here, speaking. I feel like we’re in a really good place.”
And those team meals aren’t in cliques, either, of young and old, it’s often a real mix of personalities. The daft video a few weeks ago of an incredulous Joe Williams unable to understand the concept of an ice lolly over a lolly ice was the Scouser (25), Andi Weimann (31) and Scott (19) all spending time together.
There is no hierarchy, even extending to who pays the bill with Conway revealing the players use a randomising app on their phone to select who covers the cheque at the end of each meal, even despite the considerable gap in earnings. It might seem unfair to an extent but is also egalitarian as it breaks down those barriers that could be created between age-related factions in the squad.
Given they live together, Conway spends a considerable amount of time with Scott - cooking, watching television and just general “bantering” around the game which made the combination on Saturday and even more interesting dynamic when one friend set the other up for the first time. Something tells you that won’t be the last occasion.
Conway speaks exceptionally well and is easy and relaxed company for a 20-year-old. Younger footballers can be fidgety when on media duties, often (and understandably so) too scared to say anything controversial to reveal enough of their character. Semenyo is a good case study in such, as his personal development from the shy teenager who first burst onto the scene to the confident personality who now occupies the microphone has been a notable transformation.
But, like his goalscoring, Conway has hit the ground running in that sense and probably speaks for everyone when asked to describe his month of August.
“Mental, to be honest,” he says. “Every game I’ve just tried to have a mentality of contributing to the team whether that be a good performance, a goal, an assist - just try and have an impact and I feel I’ve done that in every game I’ve played so I just want to keep doing that.
“I wouldn’t say surprised because I’ve always had the confidence in myself that when I’d get the chance, I’m ready to take it. Last year, I had to be patient and this year, I knew when I got the chance I had to take it.
“Everyone around me is there to support me along the way and keep me grounded, whether that’s my family, and they’re saying keep working hard or whether it’s the lads bantering me off, it’s keeping my feet on the ground. Everyone wants the best for me. And myself, I know I can’t get too ahead of myself because, if I do, it could lead to me performing badly.”
In the minds of City fans, and with respect to Nahki Wells, Chris Martin and Andi Weimann, the dream double act for the club over this campaign will be the sight of academy products Conway and Semenyo in attack. It would represent the identity of what the club is trying to be under Pearson and reflect incredibly well on the investment of Steve Lansdown in the facility and the work, of course, of Brian Tinnion and his coaching staff.
Barring a late transfer in this window, which is diminishing in possibility by the day, that will come to fruition at some stage, potentially on Wednesday against Huddersfield Town. The two haven’t played that much competitive football together as Semenyo was elevated from the Under-23s into the first-team far before Conway stepped up from the Under-18s into the next age group, but such is their chemistry off the field, he has no doubt they’ll make it work - Wycombe being a pretty strong early example of that.
“We have a relationship off the pitch where we know what will do best for each other when we’re on the pitch,” Conway said. “In training we like linking up. But whoever I’m up there with, I’m happy to be playing as long as we work together and are working hard together to do what’s best for the team.
“That’s what we need if we’re going to do well, we need competition everywhere on the pitch and to have that up top is going to make me be on my A-game all the time, and if I’m not then we’ve got a good replacement in Antoine.”
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