How reliant Sunderland, Portsmouth, Charlton and Doncaster have been on their top scorers in League One this season

Sunderland, Portsmouth, Charlton and Doncaster will need their big players to step up this weekend - but how reliant have the League One play-off hopefuls been on their top scorers this season?
Portsmouth's Jamal Lowe has scored 15 league goals this season.Portsmouth's Jamal Lowe has scored 15 league goals this season.
Portsmouth's Jamal Lowe has scored 15 league goals this season.

Ahead of this weekend's semi-final first legs, we take a closer look at the key men in front of goal for each side and how important they've been this campaign.

Charlton (Lyle Taylor)

Only Luton's James Collins (25) scored more goals in League One than Taylor this season, with the Charlton man netting an impressive 21 times.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Taylor, 29, also provided nine assists for the Addicks, meaning he has been involved in 30 of Charlton's 73 league goals this term (41 per cent).

The forward has often helped his side start on the front foot this campaign, opening the scoring on 12 occasions this term.

It should also be noted that 14 of Charlton's league goals were scored by Karlan Grant, who left the Valley for Huddersfield in January.

Even so, Charlton have lost just twice in the league since Grant's departure.

Portsmouth (Jamal Lowe)

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pompey have spread the goals around this season, with four players (Lowe, Ronan Curtis, Brett Pitman and Gareth Evans) reaching double figures for goals in the league.

Lowe is the Blues' top scorer with 15 league goals, while he has also chipped in with eight assists in the third tier.

That means the 24-year-old has been directly involved in 28 per cent of Pompey's 83 league goals this campaign.

Apart from their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light, Pompey have won every league game in which Lowe has scored in League One.

Sunderland (Aiden McGeady)

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Despite his departure at the end of January, Josh Maja remains Sunderland's top scorer this season, after netting 15 league goals in the first half of the campaign.

McGeady, too, has been influential, scoring 11 goals and setting up five in League One.

That means McGeady, 33, has been directly involved in 20 per cent of the Black Cats' 80 goals this campaign, while, despite making just 24 appearances, Maja has been involved in 17 league goals since August (21 per cent).

It's also worth pointing out the importance of McGeady's goals this term, following crucial strikes in 1-0 wins over Bradford and Wimbledon, as well as a brace in a 2-0 victory at Plymouth.

Doncaster (John Marquis)

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Marquis has been key to Donny's play-off push this campaign, providing 21 goals and five assists for Grant McCann's side in League One.

Out of the side's which finished in the top six, Doncaster had the worst defensive record this term, placing more pressure on their attackers.

Marquis carried most of the burden and has been directly involved in 34 per cent of Doncaster's goals in the last nine months.

Winger Mallik Wilks, on loan from Leeds, was the only other Donny player to reach double figures in the league, scoring 14 goals and chipping in with seven assists.