JAMES Roberts is aiming to reach double figures for goals before the end of his first season as a professional.

The rookie striker took his tally for the campaign to five with a superb late equaliser in United’s 2-2 draw with Exeter City last weekend.

Roberts, who will be looking for No 6 against Stevenage tomorrow, has quickly revised his aims for this season and revealed he even had U’s 14- goal top scorer Danny Hylton in his sights.

“That’s the aim, to get to double figures,” he said.

“At the start of the season it was to get my first one and all of a sudden it’s come very quickly.

“Ten would be fantastic. I’m keeping an eye on it, Tyrone Barnett (with six) is the only other one ahead of me and he’s gone.

“A couple more and I’m ahead of him, which would be fantastic.

“I know it’s very unlikely to happen, but I’m always chasing down Hylton despite the fact he’s a good ten in front of me.

“You’ve got to set yourself goals and you have to set them high, so Hylton is where I want to be.”

The last-gasp goal against Exeter rescued United from the brink of losing four successive home games in the same season for the first time in 15 years.

A season of struggle in the bottom half of Sky Bet League Two has meant the mood around the club has been gloomy at times.

But not so with Roberts: “I’m enjoying my football, I play for the love of the game.

“Ever since I was seven or eight all I’ve wanted to do was kick a ball around the pitch.

“Thankfully I’ve been given an opportunity and for it to be going well, to come back from the injury setbacks like this is brilliant.”

A hamstring problem, which has twice kept the young gun on the sidelines in the last couple of months, has been the only cloud on his horizon.

But Roberts is determined to avoid it becoming a persistent issue and believes it is all about mind over matter.

He said: “I’m confident I’m strong and I can’t have it in my mind that there’s a possibility it will go again because it will hinder me.

“Getting a goal is a massive step, it takes every doubt out of my mind.”