GARETH Ainsworth hopes the growing pains that have held Matt McClure are now finally over.

During his time with Wanderers the Slough-born forward has impressed a succession of team mates and coaches with his natural finishing ability.

But a series of injuries have meant McClure has had something of a stop-start career at Adams Park, frequently being unable to get a consistent run of games going.

Last year Ainsworth attributed a string of niggling muscle problems to the fact the Northern Ireland U21 international was still growing.

And the Blues boss hopes this season is the one where McClure will finally get the chance to become a prolific scorer with a run of games.

The 22-year-old showed his goal poaching ability in Saturday's friendly win at Cheshunt, heading home a pinpoint Nathan Evans cross and scoring a tap-in from Josh Scowen's pass.

Ainsworth said: "It's good to have a goalscorer to score goals early in the season. I'm really pleased for Matty - hopefully he can build on that.

"He's now at the stage where he's probably finished his growing up. His injuries kept inhibiting him in terms of run of games and I think everyone knows if Matt McClure gets a run of games he will score goals.

"There's no question marks at all on that, it's just a question of keeping him fit."

McClure scored nine times last season and managed 11 the year before that, despite only playing 28 times as injuries plagued him throughout his breakthrough campaign.

In 2011 he dislocated his ankle and damaged ligaments and tendons in his first game in a loan spell for Hayes and Yeading and was out for six months.

He later said the injury was so severe he was told it could have ended his career.