ALEX Nicholls made an instant impact on Tuesday evening as he came off the bench to score within seconds against Aston Villa.

"Obviously I'm pleased to get off the mark," he said. "We've been creating chances in our games so far, but it's a case of being on our toes to take them.

"I was a bit disappointed to start the game on the bench, but that is only natural because I want to be playing in every game. To score with my first touch was pleasing.

"There is quite a lot of competition in my position; whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 we have a lot of good attacking options.

"The three friendly games that we have played so far will stand us in good stead for the challenges that lie ahead. We could have played lesser teams and won easily, but it is better to have the type of challenges that the likes of Villa will provide.

"Ultimately it will help us become better players and help us become more organised. We have improved with each game and now we are looking forward to the season getting underway.

"Before that we go to Port Vale on Saturday and that will give us a decent gauge of where we're at. Everything seems to be coming together well; our fitness levels are good, the lads are working hard and we are raring to go."