Goal Against Cardiff City Wins Voting Process
Michael O’Connor’s wonder strike against Cardiff City has been chosen by the fans as Port Vale’s best goal of 2014 and will be put forward as the club’s nomination for Mitre’s Goal of the Year category at the Football League Awards.
The 27-year-old beat off competition from Louis Dodds, Michael Brown and Mark Marshall as he collected well over 50 per cent of the votes via Twitter.
The screamer, scored in the Capital One Cup, will now be reviewed by a judging panel along with 71 other goals, one per Football League side, and the top ten will appear on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM in March.
A final shortlist of five goals will then go forward to the Football League Awards in April and the overall winner will be decided on the night by attendee votes.
Speaking about his strike against Cardiff, O’Connor said: “I’ve never hit a ball like that in my life, I think that’s the furthest I’ve scored from.
“It was either cross it to the back post or have a shot and we were 1-0 down at the time so I thought I’d have a shot and luckily enough it went in.
“It was probably the best goal I’ve scored. I have scored a few decent ones but that was furthest out and that’s probably the best one.”
Upon discovering he had won the voting process, O’Connor expressed his pride and thanked the Vale fans for the recognition.
“It’s very good to be recognised for a goal like that,” he said. “If anyone has beaten that, I’d want to see it. I thought it was a good goal so it is good to get the recognition.”