PETER Kioso admits it is tough being a wing back in an Ian Evatt team, but the Luton loanee insists he is relishing his role and the challenge of keeping his spot in the side.

The 21-year-old has impressed since his arrival for the season and scored the winner in Wanderers’ 1-0 victory over Scunthorpe on Tuesday night, his second goal for the club. 

It was a fourth straight win for the Whites in all competitions as they look to put to bed their early season struggles in League Two.

Kioso believes it was simply a case of a new squad learning their roles in the opening weeks of the campaign, including the work rate required to play out wide in Evatt’s 3-4-1-2 system.

“I think obviously from the outside looking in when we’re not getting results, people might be thinking that it’s the way that we play that’s not helping us with the results,” he said.

“But in my opinion, I’ve always said that the way that we play it’ll always work as long as we’re willing to do it properly, especially for example let’s say the wing-back role with me and Gethin (Jones) knowing that as high as we are when there’s a counter attack on, you need to get back.

“It’s not easy but that’s what the gaffer wants from us and we need to make sure we do that.

“Everyone’s working as hard as possible including the players that aren’t playing.

“It’s just making sure that every day we’re working hard and we keep practicing what the gaffer wants us to do and sometimes it might not work because that’s always football, but when it works it works.”

Kioso’s arrival at the UniBol raised a few eyebrows as it came in an area of the pitch where Evatt already had options in fellow new signings Gethin Jones and Jak Hickman.

But with Jones injured, the Hatters prospect made the right-sided slot his own, Harry Brockbank and then the returning former Everton man featuring on the left.

“That’s the best thing for me as a young lad, I just want to be playing football and I don’t want to be at a standstill,” Kioso said.

“I think that was the first thing I said to the gaffer when I signed, that I don’t want to be at a standstill and I need to make sure I’m playing. But at the exact same time I didn’t come in here thinking in my head I’m to play every week even if I play bad.

“I came in here knowing that I need to fight for my position every week, so I need to make sure that my performances are up there every week because the gaffer doesn’t owe me anything at the end of the day, and if I’m not doing what I need to do on the pitch, I’ll be on the bench and that’s something I don’t want to be.

“I didn’t come here on loan to be on the bench, I’ve come here to play, so I need to make sure I’m working hard in training, away from the ground, I need to make sure I’m doing everything so that I can perform on a matchday.”

Kioso believes his own high standards extend across the group with all at Wanderers hoping the recent run of four straight victories in all competitions is just the start of a successful campaign as they look to make their stay in the fourth tier a brief one.

“Everybody’s a lot more happy, everybody’s enjoying it,” he said.

“I’m not saying nobody enjoyed it before, we did, but when you’re not winning games and you’re not doing good, it’s hard to enjoy what you’re doing. But from how hard we’re working, everybody’s just happy with what we’re doing.

“We know we have a lot more, that’s not enough for us.

“We know we have a lot more to do and we have to set our goals and we need to make sure we reach them.

“For me, you have to set the goals high, there’s no point at going medium or things like that, it can’t be going for something that is doable, go for something that might be hard to do because that’s the best thing to do.”