Stephen Ward’s first Burnley goal couldn’t have been better timed with it being the winner in the FA Cup third round tie against Middlesbrough this weekend.
With Boro taking the lead in the first half, Rouwen Hennings late half time stoppage time leveller lifted everyone’s spirits and with a much improved second half showing, Ward found the decider in the 72nd minute and he of course couldn’t have been happier.
Speaking to the Official Site having booked our place in tonight’s fourth round draw, the Republic of Ireland international explained.
‘It`s a good result for us. In the first half we didn`t really deal with their shape and you`ve got to give them credit. They`re a good side and they`re top of the league. But we dug in there and a moment of real quality got us back in the game. I thought we were much better in the second half, much more solid and they don`t concede many here. We`re happy to win and go through to the next round. To come from a goal behind is pleasing as well.’
As for his own goal on the day and the fact it secured progression in the cup, he went on to say that he just got lucky and was in the right place at the right time and thankfully it went in.
‘My job is to screen the goalie and the ball just fell to me so I stepped off him, swivelled and hit it. It`s nice to be in the hat and we`ve not beaten sides in the top four or five in our league yet so it`s a good marker. The gaffer said soak in the feeling of beating a team like this because there are plenty more battles to come against quality sides. I don`t get many so it was nice to score and we`ll see what the draw brings in the next round.’
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